Trump impeachment probe report to be released

Democrats on Tuesday are set to approve their report on the impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump, paving the way for formal charges against the US leader that could include abuse of power, bribery and obstruction.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who has led the 10-week-old investigation, says it is important to move quickly because the evidence of Trump’s wrongdoing is “overwhelming.”

“We feel a sense of urgency,” Schiff told MSNBC late Monday.

“This is a president who has sought foreign intervention in US elections twice now, and even in the midst of our impeachment inquiry, is again out publicly saying, not only should Ukraine do this, but China should also investigate my opponent,” he said.

“And so this is a threat to the integrity of the upcoming election, and we don’t feel it should wait, in particular when we already have overwhelming evidence of the president’s misconduct.”

The completion of the Schiff report marks the end of the first stage of the impeachment process, which was sparked by an August complaint by an anonymous whistleblower detailing Trump’s pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate rival Democrats ahead of next year’s elections.

The report is expected to support charges of abuse of power, bribery, obstruction of justice and contempt of Congress, based on evidence from more than a dozen witnesses who depicted Trump withholding military aid and a White House summit unless Zelensky opened the investigations.

Schiff said the report will be made public Tuesday and, after formal approval by his committee, will be sent to the Judiciary Committee where formal charges, or articles of impeachment, will be drawn up.

— AFP