Pelosi to reportedly announce Trump impeachment inquiry – live

8m ago 20:05

Nancy Pelosi clarified in her appearance at the Atlantic Festival that she did not consider “quid pro quo” to be the bar when it came to Trump allegedly pressuring the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden.

The House speaker argued that the request on its own constituted incredibly problematic behavior for a president.

Tim Mak (@timkmak)
Big takeaway from Pelosi's Atlantic Q&A was that she felt that quid-pro-quo is not the bar to meet on the Ukraine scandal.

She said that asking for foreign help to dig up dirt on domestic political opponent was her bar -- regardless of whether aid was part of the equation

September 24, 2019
Trump has repeatedly emphasized in his comments to reporters that there was “no quid pro quo” in his conversation with the Ukrainian president.

But if the transcript of the call reveals he did bring up Biden, as Trump had previously confirmed, that could be enough in the speaker’s mind to merit further investigation.


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15m ago 19:58

The Senate intelligence committee is reportedly seeking its own interview with the whistleblower who kicked off the Ukraine controversy.

Yahoo News reports:

A letter seeking to question the still-anonymous whistleblower was sent Tuesday to Andrew Bakaj, the lawyer who represents the official. It was signed by committee chair Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. — signifying that the panel is pursuing the politically explosive issue on a bipartisan basis.

‘In order to ascertain the appropriate path forward for your client while protecting your client’s privacy, we are writing to request that you make your client available for a closed bipartisan interview with Committee counsel no later than Friday, September 27, 2019, in a mutually agreeable secure location,’ the letter reads.


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17m ago 19:56

Members of the Blue Dog Coalition, a moderate group of House Democrats, are announcing their support for impeachment – a development that underscores how widespread these calls have become in the caucus.

Jim Cooper (@repjimcooper)
Constitution to levy formal charges against him.

This is a very serious step, but the President’s continuing misconduct requires that Congress uphold our Constitution and the laws of the land. No one, not even the President, is above the law.

September 24, 2019
Rep. Stephanie Murphy (@RepStephMurphy)
Similar to how a select committee was established during Watergate, the Speaker should appoint a bipartisan select committee to immediately investigate abuse of executive power. We must uncover all the facts and provide answers to the American people.

September 24, 2019
But the call for a select committee on impeachment is already being met with pushback from some House Democrats.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned in a tweet earlier today that such a move would hinder the investigation and create tension with the panels already probing the president’s actions, namely the House judiciary committee.


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26m ago 19:47

Nancy Pelosi appeared to hint at her leanings on impeachment when she told the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, “As soon as we have the facts, we’re ready. Now we have the facts. We’re ready.”

The House speaker then pivoted to reiterating that she would make a statement on her position later today, after meeting with her caucus, but the comment seemed to indicate she was supportive of launching an inquiry.

Pelosi has previously been hesitant to back impeachment proceedings, arguing that Democrats needed to have the best possible case before moving forward. She now apparently thinks that they do.


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31m ago 19:42

Pelosi to announce formal impeachment inquiry, Washington Post eports
Nancy Pelosi intends to announce a formal impeachment inquiry against Trump later today, according to the Washington Post.

The Post reports:

The announcement later Tuesday from Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) comes amid reports that President Trump may have pressured a foreign leader to investigate former vice president and potential 2020 campaign rival Joe Biden and his family.

A growing number of House Democrats are backing an impeachment inquiry as momentum shifts in the Democratic caucus.

Democratic officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly, said she would back the step.