GOP Trump Impeachment Report: Ukraine Scandal Is 'Entirely Prudent'

A 123-page report by House Republicans resolutely denies president Donald Trump committed any impeachable crimes in the Ukraine scandal, and dismisses testimonies over the past month by expert and credible witnesses to the contrary.

The report also pushes the GOP version of reality in the ongoing impeachment inquiry being conducted by House Democrats. It reaffirms there was no quid pro quo.

"The evidence presented does not prove any of these Democrat allegations and none of the Democrats' witnesses testified to having evidence of bribery, extortion, or any high crime or misdemeanor," said the GOP defense report, a copy of which was obtained by CNN.

The GOP report also supports the theory it was Ukraine and not Russia that meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It claims there is "indisputable evidence that senior Ukrainian government officials opposed President Trump in the 2016 election and did so publicly."

The impeachment inquiry launched by Democrats on September 24 has to do with a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. During this controversial call, Trump demanded Zelensky launch an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter.

The latter had served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company. Subsequent investigations by both the U.S. and Ukraine proved no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens.

Overall, the report emphasizes looking at the entire Ukraine scandal in context to understand Trump's controversial actions being investigated by several House committees. It repeats old GOP talking points saying Trump withheld congressionally-appoved aid for Ukraine out of fears the funds might be misused by corrupt Ukrainian officials. It also confirms Trump's historic distaste for foreign aid, which he considers money misspent.

"The President's initial hesitation to meet with President Zelensky or to provide U.S. taxpayer-funded security assistance to Ukraine without thoughtful review is entirely prudent," said the Republicans.

In making this argument, however, Republicans totally glossed over evidence belying this claim presented by witnesses before the House Intelligence Committee over the past weeks. Other witnesses have also testified fighting corruption was not Trump's main aim in withholding military aid from Ukraine. Among these were U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and diplomat David Holmes.

Sondland testified that he did not know why the military aid was obstructed by Trump. In order to pressure Zelensky to live-up to his part of the deal, Trump ordered the federal government not to release congressionally approved military aid worth $400 million destined for Ukraine.

Sondland said while Trump never directly told him what he wanted Ukraine to investigate, Giuliani's instructions to him "reflected President Trump's desires and requirements."

"I know that members of this committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a 'quid pro quo?' As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes," Sondland asserted.

Another witness, acting United States ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, testified there was "no good policy reason, no good substantive reason, no good national security reason" to delay the urgently needed military assistance to Ukraine.

The GOP report said Trump wasn't pressuring Zelensky during their phone call or even asking for an investigation into the Bidens. It claims phone records "shows that President Trump referenced the Bidens only in passing and that the presidents did not discuss the topic substantively."

"The summary of their July 25, 2019, telephone conversation shows no quid pro quo or indication of conditionality, threats, or pressure -- much less evidence of bribery or extortion."

Republicans also claim there is "nothing inherently improper" with Giuliani's involvement in Ukraine, because the Ukrainians knew Giuliani was "a conduit to convince President Trump that President Zelensky was serious about reform."