House releases articles of impeachment against Trump (READ THEM HERE)

The US House Judiciary Committee has released the formal written articles of impeachment against Donald Trump for “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Under the first article for “abuse of power,” Trump is accused of having “solicited the interference of a foreign government” in the 2020 presidential election when he allegedly asked Ukraine’s government to announce investigations that would “benefit his reelection” and harm the election prospects of political opponent Joe Biden.

The nine-page document claims Trump conditioned the release of Congress-approved aid to Ukraine on the opening of such an investigation.

It says these acts were “consistent with” Trump’s “previous invitations of foreign interference” in US elections.

Trump’s actions, the document continues, injured US national security and vital national interests, in order to obtain “an improper personal political benefit.”

Under the second article, obstruction of Congress, Trump is accused of having directed executive branch agencies, offices, and officials not to comply with subpoenas from the legislative branch. These actions, it states, were also consistent with his previous efforts to “undermine” US government investigations into foreign interference in elections.

“In the history of the Republic, no president has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry or sought to obstruct and impede so comprehensively the ability of the House of Representatives to investigate ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’,” it says.

US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the articles of impeachment would “potentially” reach the House floor next week. He said there was no decision on timing for sending the articles to the Senate if they are approved by the House.