Memo has revealed that the US President Donald Trump asked Ukraine’s president in a July phone conversation to investigate whether a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, had shut down an investigation into a gas company that employed his son. This was confirm by the Trump administration on Wednesday.
Setting up a dramatic political showdown that threatens Trump’s presidency, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday said the Democratic-led chamber was launching an official impeachment enquiry and directed six committees to proceed with investigations of the president’s actions.
Democrats have accused Trump, a Republican who is seeking re-election next year, of soliciting Ukraine’s help to smear Biden, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, before the 2020 election.
“Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it. It sounds horrible to me,” Trump said, according to the memo.
The call occurred after Trump had ordered the US government to freeze nearly $400 million in American aid to Ukraine. The administration later released the aid.
The House inquiry could lead to articles of impeachment in the House that could trigger a trial in the Senate on whether to remove Trump from office.
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Trump told Zelenskiy that Attorney General William Barr, the top US law enforcement official, would reach out to him about re-opening the investigation into the Ukrainian gas company.
But Trump did not ask Barr to contact Ukraine, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said, and Barr has not communicated with Ukraine about a possible investigation or any other subject. Barr, a Trump appointee, first found out about the conversation several weeks after it took place, Kupec said.
Trump told Zelenskiy to speak with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, a political ally who has no formal role in the US government. Zelenskiy said one of his assistants had already spoken with Giuliani and that they looked forward to another meeting when the former New York mayor came to Ukraine, according to the summary of the call.
Meanwhile, the US House Intelligence Committee asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to provide it with detailed information about a whistleblower complaint central to the impeachment enquiry into President Donald Trump, setting a Friday deadline for the information.
