United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday said the House would begin drafting impeachment charges against President Donald Trump, reported The New York Times. The partisan conflict in the Congress could lead to a vote by as early as Christmas, according to the newspaper.
Pelosi’s announcement came a day after the House Judiciary Committee formally initiated impeachment proceedings against Trump. Three constitutional scholars invited by Democrats to a Congressional hearing said Trump’s conduct met the definition of impeachable offenses under the Constitution.
Pelosi said Democrats had “no choice but to act”, The Washington Post reported. “The president’s actions have seriously violated the constitution.”
The Democrats have accused the president of trying to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden in a corruption case. Joe Biden is a frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency. Trump allegedly tried to use military aid sought by Ukraine, which is facing Russian military aggression, as leverage to put pressure on Zelensky. The House Intelligence Committee has already concluded that Trump abused his power.
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