In the impeachment proceedings against US President Donald Trump, the democratic prosecutors started to provide evidence. Prosecutor Adam Schiff said on Wednesday in the Senate that Trump had used his power to force Ukraine to interfere in US elections, thereby increasing his chances of being re-elected.
When he was “caught”, the president hindered the House parliamentary investigation into the Ukraine affair in an “unprecedented” manner.
“It is one of the most blatant attempts to cover up history,” said the chairman of the House Secret Service committee. The indictment will support the allegations against Trump in the coming days with “comprehensive evidence”.
Democrats accuse Trump of urging Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Selenskyj to investigate ex-vice president Joe Biden, who could challenge him in the November presidential election. As a means of pressure, he is said to have used restrained military aid of $ 391 million and a reception in the White House hoped for by Selenskyj.
“It was a defamation tactic against a political opponent that President Trump apparently feared,” said Schiff. The aim was to “cheat” in the presidential election.
The MP and the other prosecutors repeatedly showed videos and documents during their remarks to substantiate the allegations against Trump. Schiff appealed to the senators to be impartial and to allow a “fair trial”.
The upper house had set the rules for the impeachment process against Trump in a marathon session on Tuesday. The Democrats tried unsuccessfully to enforce subpoenas and inspect government documents that had previously been held back. They failed because of the Republicans, who, with their majority in the Senate, knocked down almost a dozen Democratic proposals. The Republicans want to get the process over as quickly as possible.
The prosecution and defense are now given a total of 24 hours over a period of three days to present their arguments. The hundred senators can then ask questions for 16 hours. Only then should a decision be made as to whether witnesses should be summoned or government documents on the Ukraine affair previously held back requested.
The impeachment proceedings against Trump began last week with the reading out of the charges and the swearing-in of the senators. Trump has been charged with abuse of office and a disability to Congress in the Ukraine affair.
It is the third impeachment process against a president in US history. Trump’s impeachment is almost impossible given the majority of his republicans’ senate and the high hurdle of a two-thirds majority.
Trump’s defense lawyers are expected to deliver their arguments from Saturday. Attorney Jay Sekulow announced in the CNN news channel that he would “aggressively” counter the allegations of the Democrats.
Trump himself said on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he would like to participate in the impeachment process. “I would love to go there,” said Trump in the Swiss ski resort. “I would love to sit in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces.” However, his lawyers should have “a problem with it,” added the president.
Source: Apa / Ag.
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