Democrats unveil plans for open impeachment hearings

WASHINGTON — House Democrats unveil plans to open up the impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump with public hearings, after criticism from Republicans that the process has been overly secretive.

Democrats deny that they have been secretive, arguing that five weeks of closed hearings — in which Republican lawmakers participated — were necessary for evidence-gathering, ahead of the public portion of the inquiry into the accusation that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate a political rival.

On Tuesday, Democrats proposed legislation for the next stages of the process, giving Republicans the right to call their own witnesses and subpoena records.

The House Intelligence Committee will then govern the process of firming up evidence from testimony and documents, with both sides equally able to question witnesses in a public setting.

The third stage will see the evidence against Trump forwarded to the Judiciary Committee to draw up articles of impeachment, which would be voted on by the entire House. The Senate would then vote on whether to convict and remove Trump from office.

The rules give Trump and his lawyers their first opportunity to take a direct role and argue their case before the Judiciary Committee, calling for more testimony or evidence and cross-examining witnesses, the House Rules Committee says.

— AFP