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| The Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Latest Updates | The Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Latest Updates |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| House Democrats reconvene after Yom Kippur today with fresh support for their impeachment efforts, as well as some nagging dilemmas. On Wednesday, Joseph R. Biden Jr. came out in support of President Trump's impeachment for the first time, joining several other Democratic presidential candidates who have already done so. | House Democrats reconvene after Yom Kippur today with fresh support for their impeachment efforts, as well as some nagging dilemmas. On Wednesday, Joseph R. Biden Jr. came out in support of President Trump's impeachment for the first time, joining several other Democratic presidential candidates who have already done so. |
| But those leading the impeachment inquiry face challenging questions about how quickly to proceed. Already this week, Democratic lawmakers have acknowledged the need to strike a balance, continuing with investigations and preparing additional subpoenas, but not letting their efforts stall as the White House embraces a strategy of defiance. | But those leading the impeachment inquiry face challenging questions about how quickly to proceed. Already this week, Democratic lawmakers have acknowledged the need to strike a balance, continuing with investigations and preparing additional subpoenas, but not letting their efforts stall as the White House embraces a strategy of defiance. |
| Two associates of Mr. Trump’s private lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, tied to the Ukraine scandal have been arrested and were expected to appear in court in Northern Virginia on Thursday, according to a spokesman in the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan. | Two associates of Mr. Trump’s private lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, tied to the Ukraine scandal have been arrested and were expected to appear in court in Northern Virginia on Thursday, according to a spokesman in the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan. |
| The two men, Lev Parnas, who was born in Ukraine, and Igor Fruman, who was born in Belarus, are believed to be important witnesses in the House’s impeachment inquiry of Mr. Trump. Their arrest on campaign finance charges were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. | The two men, Lev Parnas, who was born in Ukraine, and Igor Fruman, who was born in Belarus, are believed to be important witnesses in the House’s impeachment inquiry of Mr. Trump. Their arrest on campaign finance charges were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. |
| Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman aided Mr. Giuliani’s efforts to gin up investigations in Ukraine into Mr. Biden and his son Hunter Biden, among other potentially political beneficial investigations for Mr. Trump. Mr. Parnas had been scheduled to participate in a deposition with House impeachment investigators on Capitol Hill on Thursday, and Mr. Fruman on Friday. Neither had been expected to show up voluntarily. House Democrats were preparing to issue subpoenas to force them to do so. | Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman aided Mr. Giuliani’s efforts to gin up investigations in Ukraine into Mr. Biden and his son Hunter Biden, among other potentially political beneficial investigations for Mr. Trump. Mr. Parnas had been scheduled to participate in a deposition with House impeachment investigators on Capitol Hill on Thursday, and Mr. Fruman on Friday. Neither had been expected to show up voluntarily. House Democrats were preparing to issue subpoenas to force them to do so. |
| The men are said to have made possibly illegal donations to Mr. Trump’s Super PAC and to the campaigns of prominent House Republicans to curry political favors, including former Representative Pete Sessions of Texas, who was defeated for re-election last year. | The men are said to have made possibly illegal donations to Mr. Trump’s Super PAC and to the campaigns of prominent House Republicans to curry political favors, including former Representative Pete Sessions of Texas, who was defeated for re-election last year. |
| Shortly after their indictment became public, House impeachment investigators issued subpoenas to both Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman, compelling them to speak with Congress about their work with Mr. Giuliani in Ukraine. | Shortly after their indictment became public, House impeachment investigators issued subpoenas to both Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman, compelling them to speak with Congress about their work with Mr. Giuliani in Ukraine. |
| Mr. Parnas had been scheduled to appear for a deposition on Thursday and Mr. Fruman on Friday, but even before their arrests, a lawyer for both men had indicated they would not comply voluntarily. The subpoena, which instructs them to now appear next Wednesday, makes no mention of the federal indictment, which may complicate their ability or willingness to cooperate with the House’s investigation. | Mr. Parnas had been scheduled to appear for a deposition on Thursday and Mr. Fruman on Friday, but even before their arrests, a lawyer for both men had indicated they would not comply voluntarily. The subpoena, which instructs them to now appear next Wednesday, makes no mention of the federal indictment, which may complicate their ability or willingness to cooperate with the House’s investigation. |
| Facing criminal charges for work that appears to have at least some connection to the subject of the impeachment inquiry, they may choose to assert Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. | Facing criminal charges for work that appears to have at least some connection to the subject of the impeachment inquiry, they may choose to assert Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. |
| In a letter to John Dowd, the lawyer representing both men, three House committee chairmen wrote that Mr. Parnas and Mr. Furman were “required by law to comply with the enclosed subpoenas.” | In a letter to John Dowd, the lawyer representing both men, three House committee chairmen wrote that Mr. Parnas and Mr. Furman were “required by law to comply with the enclosed subpoenas.” |
| “Your clients are private citizens who are not employees of the Executive Branch. They may not evade requests from Congress for documents and information necessary to conduct our inquiry. They are required by law to comply with the enclosed subpoenas. They are not exempted from this requirement merely because they happen to work with Mr. Giuliani, and they may not defy congressional subpoenas merely because President Trump has chosen the path of denial, defiance, and obstruction.” | “Your clients are private citizens who are not employees of the Executive Branch. They may not evade requests from Congress for documents and information necessary to conduct our inquiry. They are required by law to comply with the enclosed subpoenas. They are not exempted from this requirement merely because they happen to work with Mr. Giuliani, and they may not defy congressional subpoenas merely because President Trump has chosen the path of denial, defiance, and obstruction.” |
| [Read the letter from committee chairmen.] | [Read the letter from committee chairmen.] |
| The letter was written by Representatives Adam B. Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Eliot L. Engel of New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, chairman of the House Oversight Committee. | The letter was written by Representatives Adam B. Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Eliot L. Engel of New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, chairman of the House Oversight Committee. |
| On Thursday morning, Representative John Shimkus, a veteran Illinois Republican who has announced he will not seek re-election, took to St. Louis talk radio to say, “pull my name off the ‘I support Donald Trump’ list.” (Five minutes and 18 seconds in.) | |
| It was not because of the latest twist in the Ukraine scandal. He pointedly did not break from the president on impeachment. It was because of what he saw as Mr. Trump’s abandonment of America’s ally, Syria’s Kurds, who are now under Turkish onslaught. “I’m heartbroken,” he told KMOX. | |
| Why is that important? Republican anger over Syria may not translate directly into support for impeachment, but if more Republicans — especially among the 19 who have thus far announced their retirement — take their names off the “I support Donald Trump” list, they may not be available to man the barricades when the Democrats come to impeach. | |
| Mr. Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning, clearly unhappy that Fox News Channel, the conservative media redoubt that he needs to maintain the support of his core voters, has been insufficiently supportive. | Mr. Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning, clearly unhappy that Fox News Channel, the conservative media redoubt that he needs to maintain the support of his core voters, has been insufficiently supportive. |
| The president appears to be incensed with a Fox News poll that showed 51 percent of registered voters support his impeachment and removal from office, up 10 percentage points from July. “Whoever their Pollster is, they suck,” Mr. Trump wrote. | The president appears to be incensed with a Fox News poll that showed 51 percent of registered voters support his impeachment and removal from office, up 10 percentage points from July. “Whoever their Pollster is, they suck,” Mr. Trump wrote. |
| The president is highlighting divisions at Fox between some of the network’s commentators, such as Andrew Napolitano, and the general line that the House’s impeachment inquiry is not legitimate. That is clear in his own Twitter feed. After attacking Fox for giving Mr. Napolitano a megaphone — “he’s been terrible” — employing Donna Brazile — “who gave Crooked Hillary the debate questions & got fired from @CNN” — and generally venting his displeasure, he then retweeted Maria Bartiromo, a Fox Business anchor who has been broadcasting supportive statements from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. | The president is highlighting divisions at Fox between some of the network’s commentators, such as Andrew Napolitano, and the general line that the House’s impeachment inquiry is not legitimate. That is clear in his own Twitter feed. After attacking Fox for giving Mr. Napolitano a megaphone — “he’s been terrible” — employing Donna Brazile — “who gave Crooked Hillary the debate questions & got fired from @CNN” — and generally venting his displeasure, he then retweeted Maria Bartiromo, a Fox Business anchor who has been broadcasting supportive statements from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. |
| But Mr. Trump has more problems with conservative media than just a few Fox personalities. The Drudge Report, which rose to prominence during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, has been remarkably amenable to the impeachment of the current president. On Thursday, its purveyor, Matt Drudge, was amplifying the Fox poll that Mr. Trump objected to, blaring, “FOX SHOCK: 51% WANT TRUMP REMOVED.” | But Mr. Trump has more problems with conservative media than just a few Fox personalities. The Drudge Report, which rose to prominence during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, has been remarkably amenable to the impeachment of the current president. On Thursday, its purveyor, Matt Drudge, was amplifying the Fox poll that Mr. Trump objected to, blaring, “FOX SHOCK: 51% WANT TRUMP REMOVED.” |
| Mr. Trump reserved the right to do what he wants with the media: “@FoxNews doesn’t deliver for US anymore,” he wrote. “It is so different than it used to be. Oh well, I’m President!” | Mr. Trump reserved the right to do what he wants with the media: “@FoxNews doesn’t deliver for US anymore,” he wrote. “It is so different than it used to be. Oh well, I’m President!” |
| Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s newly elected president, offered something of a defense for Mr. Trump, saying he did not “blackmail” him in July when he asked for “a favor” on a president-to-president phone call that is the heart of the House’s impeachment inquiry. | Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s newly elected president, offered something of a defense for Mr. Trump, saying he did not “blackmail” him in July when he asked for “a favor” on a president-to-president phone call that is the heart of the House’s impeachment inquiry. |
| What Mr. Zelensky said is not exactly exonerating. The Ukrainian leader told reporters at a marathon news conference at a food court in Kiev, “there was no blackmail.” He went on to say, “They blocked the military aid before we had our conversation, but we did not discuss it. Later we discussed it with the defense minister and he said, ‘we have a problem, they’ve blocked this money.’” The reference was to $400 million in promised military aid that Mr. Trump had frozen before the call in which he asked Ukraine for help investigating a political rival, Mr. Biden, and his son, Hunter. | What Mr. Zelensky said is not exactly exonerating. The Ukrainian leader told reporters at a marathon news conference at a food court in Kiev, “there was no blackmail.” He went on to say, “They blocked the military aid before we had our conversation, but we did not discuss it. Later we discussed it with the defense minister and he said, ‘we have a problem, they’ve blocked this money.’” The reference was to $400 million in promised military aid that Mr. Trump had frozen before the call in which he asked Ukraine for help investigating a political rival, Mr. Biden, and his son, Hunter. |
| Mr. Trump has never acknowledged that the freeze in military aid was tied to the request for dirt, although a State Department envoy said it was in a text message to the ambassador to the European Union. | Mr. Trump has never acknowledged that the freeze in military aid was tied to the request for dirt, although a State Department envoy said it was in a text message to the ambassador to the European Union. |
| Mr. Zelensky also said he would “happily” direct prosecutors to look into whether Ukrainians interfered in the 2016 United States presidential election, precisely what Mr. Trump wants. | Mr. Zelensky also said he would “happily” direct prosecutors to look into whether Ukrainians interfered in the 2016 United States presidential election, precisely what Mr. Trump wants. |
| Mr. Trump was satisfied: “That should end this Democrat Scam.” | Mr. Trump was satisfied: “That should end this Democrat Scam.” |
| President Trump repeatedly pressured President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to investigate people and issues of political concern to Mr. Trump, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Here’s a timeline of events since January. | President Trump repeatedly pressured President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to investigate people and issues of political concern to Mr. Trump, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Here’s a timeline of events since January. |
| A C.I.A. officer who was once detailed to the White House filed a whistle-blower complaint on Mr. Trump’s interactions with Mr. Zelensky. Read the complaint. | A C.I.A. officer who was once detailed to the White House filed a whistle-blower complaint on Mr. Trump’s interactions with Mr. Zelensky. Read the complaint. |
| Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in September that the House would open a formal impeachment proceeding in response to the whistle-blower’s complaint. Here’s how the impeachment process works. | Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in September that the House would open a formal impeachment proceeding in response to the whistle-blower’s complaint. Here’s how the impeachment process works. |
| House committees have issued subpoenas to the White House, the Defense Department, the budget office and other agencies for documents related to the impeachment investigation. Here’s the evidence that has been collected so far. | House committees have issued subpoenas to the White House, the Defense Department, the budget office and other agencies for documents related to the impeachment investigation. Here’s the evidence that has been collected so far. |