Impeachment Inquiry News: Dems Want To Know Why Trump Froze Ukraine Aid

The House impeachment inquiry heated up Monday with subpoenas for documents going out to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and acting White House budget director Russell Vought related to the sequence of events leading to a White House decision to withhold $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.

President Trump, who insists he did nothing wrong, said he will not cooperate with the impeachment investigation unless the House takes a formal vote, an action Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said is unnecessary.

The investigation was spurred by the administration handling of a whistleblower’s complaint on a July 25 phone call Trump made to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he asked Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, as a “favor.” The request came just days after the military aid was frozen.

The subpoenas came as a second whistleblower stepped forward.

https://twitter.com/MarkSZaidEsq/status/1180839570839101443?s=20

Trump had been trying to discredit the first complaint as secondhand knowledge. The second whistleblower reportedly has firsthand knowledge of the call.

In the meantime, Trump has tweeted repeatedly that Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman should be impeached for telling lies about him.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry acknowledged at a news conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, that he had encouraged Trump to call Zelensky because good relations between the two countries are important.

“Absolutely, I asked the president multiple times, ‘Mr. President, we think it is in the United States' and in Ukraine’s best interest that you and the president of Ukraine have conversations, that you discuss the options that are there,’” Perry said, adding that he had talked in general about corruption with Zelensky. There was no indication that Perry asked Zelensky to investigate Biden.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the State Department will do everything required by law to comply with the House inquiry but will not buckle to what he called “harassment.” He said it’s very clear to him that politics are involved in the congressional investigation and said the Obama administration should have investigated interference in the 2016 presidential election as it was occurring.

Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s investigation confirmed during the summer intelligence agency conclusions that Russia interfered in the election but Trump wants debunked conspiracy theories involving Ukraine investigated.

"If we need another government's assistance, it's very reasonable to ask that government to say, 'Do you have any help that you can provide so we can protect the American people?'" Pompeo said, adding that he sees it as a duty.

During that July 25 call, Trump urged Zelensky to work with Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.

"Rudy Giuliani is probably the central actor in creating the pressure on the State Department and other people on behalf of the president's political interests," Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said Trump never should have asked foreign governments to investigate Biden.

“The president should not have raised the Biden issue on that call, period. It’s not appropriate for a president to engage a foreign government in an investigation of a political opponent,” Portman said.