WASHINGTON (AP) — For only the fourth time in U.S. history, the House of Representatives has launched a impeachment into a representative. Lower house commissions try to determine whether President Donald Trump violated his oath by asking Ukraine to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, and his family and inquire about the European nation’s involvement in the presidential elections 2016 in the United States.Here’s a brief summary of the latest and most upcoming developments:
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW—A State Department envoy told lawmakers that “it seemed clear to him” that the U.S. government intended to withhold military assistance to Ukraine until the country pledged to conduct the investigations Trump wanted , according to a transcript released Wednesday.—The White House reinforces its communication staff in its attempt to address the current House impeachment investigation.—The third-highest-ranking official within the Department of Representatives. State testified Wednesday for more than six hours, as part of the Democrats’ investigation into the House of Representatives to finalize the impeachment procedure. David Hale was expected to tell lawmakers that political considerations were behind the agency’s refusal to provide a strong defense of the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, WHAT’S NEXT? Democratic lawmakers invited former national security adviser John Bolton to appear at a panel Thursday, though Bolton’s lawyer has said he won’t run without a subpoena. INTEREST STATISTICSSo this week, nine Trump administration officials challenged House investigators by not showing up for closed-door appearances. The figure could increase as Bolton, the former head of the White House office, Mick Mulvaney, and prominent national security officials were also cited to appear. Some who have already appeared will do so again at the request of the commissions in charge of the investigation, which have scheduled public hearings for the coming week to hear three diplomats who testified privately.
