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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 16 January 2020

House sending Trump impeachment to Senate, trial to follow

Continued from Front a very important threshold new evidence to call more
in American history," Pelosi witnesses for testimony.
Trump complained anew said, addressing the House The seven-member pros-
of a "hoax," even as new before the vote. ecution team will be led by
details emerged about "This is what an impeach- the chairmen of the House
his efforts in Ukraine. The ment is about,'' she said impeachment proceed-
charges were to be carried earlier, announcing the ings, Reps. Adam Schiff of
in a ceremony of pomp prosecution team. "The the Intelligence Commit-
and protocol by lawmakers president violated his oath tee and Jerry Nadler of the
prosecuting the case, mov- of office, undermined our Judiciary Committee, two
ing the impeachment out national security, jeopard- of Pelosi's top lieutenants.
of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's ized the integrity of our Ahead of Wednesday's
Democratic-run House to elections." session, Schiff released new
the Republican-majority Trump's political campaign records from Lev Parnas,
Senate, where the presi- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., center, flanked by House dismissed it all as "just a an associate of Trump law-
dent's team is mounting a Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., failed attempt to politically yer Rudy Giuliani, about
defense aiming for swift ac- left, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam damage President Trump the Ukraine strategy, in-
quittal. Schiff, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference to announce leading up to his reelec- cluding an exchange with
Wednesday's mostly partly- impeachment managers on Capitol Hill in Washington, tion." another man about surveil-
line House vote to deliver Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. The Senate will transform ling later-fired Ambassador
the charges was 228-193, Associated Press itself into an impeachment Maria Yovanovitch.
reflecting the deeply divid- Trump alleging he abused the country as leverage. court on Thursday. The Schiff said the new evi-
ed nation at the start of this his presidential power by Trump was also charged Constitution calls on Chief dence should bring more
presidential election year. pressuring Ukraine to inves- with obstructing Congress' Justice John Roberts to pressure on McConnell,
It came one month af- tigate Democratic rival Joe ensuing probe. preside at the trial, admin- who is reluctant to allow
ter the House impeached Biden, using military aid to "We are here today to cross istering the oath to senators witnesses to testify and also
who will serve as jurors and prefers swift acquittal.
swear to deliver "impartial "If McConnell makes this
justice.'' the first trial in history with-
Opening arguments are to out witnesses, it will be ex-
begin next Tuesday after posed for what it is and
the Martin Luther King Jr. that is an effort to cover
holiday. up for the president," Schiff
The top Republican in the said.
House, Kevin McCarthy of McConnell opened the
California, said Americans Senate dismissing what he
will look back on this "sad called a rushed impeach-
saga" that tried to remove ment that is more about
the president from office the politics of Democrats
with the "weakest case." who don't like Trump than
The president's team ex- the charges against him.
pects acquittal with a Sen- "This isn't really about
ate trial lasting no more Ukraine policy or military
than two weeks, accord- money," McConnell said.
ing to senior administra- "This has been naked parti-
tion officials unauthorized sanship all along."
to discuss the matter and Trump's trial will be only the
granted anonymity. third presidential impeach-
That's far shorter than the ment trial in U.S. history, and
last presidential impeach- it comes against the back-
ment trail, of Bill Clinton, in drop of a politically divided
1999, or the first one, of An- nation in an election year.
drew Johnson, in 1868. The managers are a di-
As Senate Majority Leader verse group with legal, law
Mitch McConnell sets the enforcement and military
rules for the trial, Trump experience, including Ha-
has given mixed messages keem Jeffries of New York,
about whether he prefers Sylvia Garcia of Texas, Val
lengthy or swift proceed- Demings of Florida, Jason
ing, and senators are under Crow of Colorado and Zoe
pressure with the emerging Lofgren of California. q