Pelosi asks U.S. House panel to proceed with articles of impeachment against Trump

Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-06 01:12:42|Editor: yan
Video PlayerClose

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she is asking the House Judiciary Committee to draft articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Pelosi accused Trump of having abused his power for "his own personal political benefit at the expense of our national security."

"The president leaves us no choice but to act," the California Democrat said.

Trump, in a series of tweets on Thursday, continued to attack the impeachment process.

"The Do Nothing, Radical Left Democrats have just announced that they are going to seek to Impeach me over NOTHING," the president wrote. "This will mean that the beyond important and seldom used act of Impeachment will be used routinely to attack future Presidents."

Claiming "the Republicans have never been more united," he said, "We will win!"

Pelosi's announcement came a day after the House Judiciary Committee chaired by Democrat Jerry Nadler held its first hearing as part of the impeachment proceeding against Trump.

At the hearing marked by partisan disagreements over Trump's conduct toward Ukraine, three constitutional law professors, called by Democrats, testified that they believed Trump committed impeachable offenses.

A fourth legal expert, whom Republicans invited, cautioned the Democrat-led House against moving forward with impeaching the president.

The House Judiciary Committee announced on Thursday that it will hold a second hearing on Monday.

The hearing is "to receive presentations from counsels" to the House intelligence and judiciary panels and lawyers of both parties will be present, according to an announcement.

House Democrats are looking into whether Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine into launching investigations that could benefit him politically. Lawmakers are also examining whether the Republican conditioned a White House meeting or a military aid to Ukraine on those probes.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing or a "quid pro quo." The White House has so far refused to cooperate with the impeachment proceeding, accusing Democrats of an unfair process.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011105521386087181