Latest Trump Impeachment News: Draft Report Says It's Clear Trump Abused Power Of Office For Personal Gain

The House Intelligence Committee released its draft report Tuesday on the impeachment inquiry into President Trump, saying the “evidence is clear” that Trump attempted to pressure Ukraine to take actions that would benefit him politically.

The report was written by staff of the Intelligence, Oversight and Reform, and Foreign Affairs committees and was released one day after Republicans released their “prebuttal,” arguing Trump did nothing wrong and a day before the House Judiciary Committee was set to begin its consideration of articles of impeachment.

“The evidence is clear that President Trump used the power of his office to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations into his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, and a debunked conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 election,” committee Chairs Adam Schiff, Carolyn Maloney and Eliot Engle said in a statement that accompanied the 300-page report. “These investigations were designed to benefit his 2020 presidential reelection campaign.

“The evidence is also clear that President Trump conditioned official acts on the public announcement of these investigations: a coveted White House visit and critical U.S. military assistance Ukraine needed to fight its Russian adversary.

“Finally, the evidence is clear that after his scheme to secure foreign help in his reelection was uncovered, President Trump engaged in categorical and unprecedented obstruction in order to cover-up his misconduct.”

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham dismissed the report as “the ramblings of a basement blogger.” Earlier in the day, he called Democrats “unpatriotic” for investigating him.

The statement said it was clear Trump “abused the power of his office for personal and political gain, at the expense of our national security” and “undermined the integrity” of the coming 2020 election in violation of his oath of office.

The monthslong inquiry was touched off by a whistleblower complaint regarding a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during which Trump asked for a “favor.” At the time, he was withholding $391 million in military aid to the former Soviet republic, which is fighting Russia-backed separatists in its eastern provinces.

Zelensky told Time magazine he never discussed a “quid pro quo” with Trump but witnesses before the Intelligence Committee said that was understood.

Trump, who is attending the NATO summit in London, said early Tuesday he wants administration officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to testify – but only at a Senate trial if he is impeached by the House. He said he balked at allowing them to testify before the House because he saw the process as unfair.

Trump attorney Pat Cipollone sent a letter to the Judiciary Committee Monday saying Trump had no plans to send representatives to a scheduled hearing Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel said he’s prepared to craft rules for any impeachment trial with input only from Republicans if he is unable to reach a deal with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.