Page 2 - aruba-today-20190305

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 5 March 2019
House Democrats launch aggressive new Trump probe

By MARY CLARE JALONICK campaign and the com-
Associated Press mittee that oversaw the
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dem- transition from campaign
ocrats launched a sweep- to presidency. There are
ing new probe of President also people connected to
Donald Trump on Monday, Russian interference in the
an aggressive investigation 2016 campaign, including
that threatens to shadow participants in a meeting at
the president through the Trump Tower with a Russian
2020 election season with lawyer before the election.
potentially damaging in- The committee is also ask-
quiries into his White House, ing the FBI, the Justice De-
campaign and family busi- partment and others for
nesses. documents related to pos-
House Judiciary Com- sible pardons for Trump’s
mittee Chairman Jerrold former personal lawyer,
Nadler said his panel was Michael Cohen, former
beginning the probe into national security adviser
possible obstruction of jus- Michael Flynn and former
tice, corruption and abuse Trump campaign chair-
of power and is sending man Paul Manafort. All
document requests to 81 three have been charged
people linked to the presi- in special counsel Mueller’s
dent and his associates. President Donald Trump speaks at Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2019, in Oxon investigation.
The broad investigation Hill, Md., Saturday, March 2, 2019. In a request sent to the
could be setting the stage Associated Press White House, the commit-
for an impeachment ef- “begin building the public ligation of Congress and a winds down. tee asks for information
fort, although Democratic record.” core function of the House They are also an indication surrounding former FBI Di-
leaders have pledged to “Over the last several years, Judiciary Committee.” of the Democrats’ current rector James Comey’s ter-
investigate all avenues President Trump has evad- Trump dismissed the Nadler strategy — to flood the ad- mination, communications
and review special counsel ed accountability for his probe and others as fu- ministration with oversight with Justice Department
Robert Mueller’s upcom- near-daily attacks on our tile efforts “in search of a requests, keeping Trump officials, the Trump Tower
ing report before trying any basic legal, ethical, and crime.” and his associates on trial meeting and multiple other
drastic action. Nadler said constitutional rules and “Ridiculous!” he exclaimed publicly while also playing a matters. Trump Press Secre-
the document requests, norms,” said Nadler, D-N.Y. on Twitter. long game when it comes tary Sarah Sanders said the
with responses to most due “Investigating these threats Separate congressional to possible impeachment. White House had received
by March 18, are a way to to the rule of law is an ob- probes are already swirl- While some more liberal the letter and “the coun-
ing around the president, members of the Democrat- sel’s office and relevant
including an effort an- ic caucus would like to see White House officials will re-
nounced Monday by three Trump impeached now, view it and respond at the
other House Democratic Democratic leaders have appropriate time.”
chairmen to obtain infor- been more cautious. The panel’s list includes
mation about private con- Trump told reporters after two of the president’s sons,
versations between him Nadler’s probe was an- Donald Trump Jr. and Eric
and Russian President Vlad- nounced that “I cooper- Trump, and many of his
imir Putin. ate all the time with every- current and former close
In a letter to the White House body.” advisers, including Steve
and State Department, the He added: “You know, the Bannon, longtime spokes-
House intelligence, Foreign beautiful thing? No collu- woman Hope Hicks, former
Affairs and Oversight and sion. It’s all a hoax.” Press Secretary Sean Spicer
Reform panels sent broad Mueller is investigating and former White House
requests for details about Russian intervention in the Counsel Don McGahn.
Trump and Putin’s private 2016 election and whether The letters to Hicks and
meetings by phone and Trump’s campaign con- Spicer ask them to turn
in person. In addition to spired with Russia. But the over any work diaries, jour-
document requests, the House probes go far be- nals or “a description of
committees are asking to yond collusion. The House daily events related to your
interview interpreters who intelligence panel has an- employment” by Trump.
sat in on meetings, includ- nounced a separate probe The committee asked Mc-
ing a one-on-one session in not only into the Russian in- Gahn for documents re-
Helsinki last summer. terference but also Trump’s lated to any discussion in-
The State Department foreign financial interests. volving Trump regarding
pledged to “work coop- The Oversight and Reform the possibility of firing Muel-
eratively with the commit- Committee has launched ler around June of 2017 “or
tees.” multiple investigations into any conversation in which
The new probes signal that all facets of the administra- President Trump stated, in
now that Democrats hold tion. words or substance, that
a majority in the House, The 81 names and entities he wanted the Mueller in-
Trump’s legal and political on the Judiciary Commit- vestigation shut down, re-
peril is nowhere near over, tee’s list touch all parts of strained or otherwise limit-
even as the special coun- Trump’s life — the White ed in or around December
sel’s Russia investigation House, his businesses, his 2017.”q