The House Intelligence Committee will begin reviewing a report Monday on the committee’s investigation into President TrumpDonald John TrumpKamala Harris aide says in resignation letter: ‘I’ve never seen staff treated so poorly’ New Iowa ad compares Booker to the ‘other Rhodes Scholar mayor’ Lawmakers bypass embattled Mulvaney in spending talks MORE’s dealings with Ukraine a committee official confirmed to The Hill.
The committee is then expected to consider and adopt the report Tuesday evening. The report and any minority views will be sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which could draft articles of impeachment against the president in the next few weeks, according to Politico.
This is a major event, moving impeachment proceedings one step closer to a possible impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.
“We expect to allow HPSCI Members to view a draft report in committee spaces beginning Monday evening. On Tuesday, the Committee will hold a business meeting, following our regularly scheduled briefing, at 6 pm to consider and adopt the report. The report — along with any Minority Views — will then be forwarded to the Judiciary Committee pursuant to H.Res. 660” the committee official told The Hill.
The committee scheduled a consideration of the report that is “Part of the House of Representatives’ Impeachment Inquiry” on Tuesday of next week.
Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffCNN: Ukrainian government could announce probes beneficial to Trump Nadler sets Dec. 6 deadline for White House to say if it will take part in impeachment hearings Five questions looming over impeachment MORE (D-Calif.) told Democratic lawmakers in a “Dear Colleague” letter earlier this week that the committees overseeing the impeachment inquiry were preparing a report for the Judiciary Committee that they hoped to send shortly after lawmakers return to Washington from the Thanksgiving recess. The earlier letter did not contain a specific date.
Schiff said the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform committees continue to investigate the president, and he did not rule out the possibility of further hearings or depositions.
“Over the course of our inquiry, we have uncovered a months-long effort in which President Trump again sought foreign interference in our elections for his personal and political benefit at the expense of our national interest. As the evidence conclusively shows, President Trump conditioned official acts—a White House meeting desperately desired by the new Ukrainian president and critical U.S. military assistance—on Ukraine announcing sham, politically-motivated investigations that would help President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign,” Schiff wrote Monday.
Schiff cited the record of the July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky detailed in a whistleblower complaint filed earlier this year. The complaint alleges that Trump pressured Zelensky to launch investigations into former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenCNN: Ukrainian government could announce probes beneficial to Trump Fears mount about Biden’s South Carolina firewall BET founder Robert Johnson: No 2020 Democrat is ‘capable of beating Trump’ MORE (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for hundreds of millions in military aide.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly denied that there was a “quid pro quo” between the two leaders.
Schiff’s letter alleges that House Democrats have uncovered “massive amounts” of evidence, in spite of “obstruction” from the Trump administration during two weeks of public hearings and 17 private marathon depositions. A dozen witnesses have defied lawmakers’ subpoenas, which Schiff alleged was “an unprecedented campaign of obstruction” from the White House.
The Intelligence Committee’s report is expected to include the allegations against the White House over the would-be witnesses, allowing the Judiciary Committee to potentially craft articles of impeachment on “obstruction of Congress,” according to Schiff’s letter.
This report was updated at 9:55 p.m.
