This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/13/us/politics/impeachment-hearings-bill-taylor-george-kent.html
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| What to Expect in the Trump Impeachment Inquiry’s Public Hearings | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Since Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry in September, House investigators have conducted weeks of fact-finding largely in private to determine if President Trump abused the power of his office in his dealings with Ukraine. On Wednesday, the inquiry enters a new phase: public hearings. | Since Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry in September, House investigators have conducted weeks of fact-finding largely in private to determine if President Trump abused the power of his office in his dealings with Ukraine. On Wednesday, the inquiry enters a new phase: public hearings. |
| Who: William B. Taylor Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine, and George P. Kent, a senior State Department official in charge of Ukraine policy, will appear for joint testimony. | Who: William B. Taylor Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine, and George P. Kent, a senior State Department official in charge of Ukraine policy, will appear for joint testimony. |
| What: The House Intelligence Committee, led by its chairman, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, will offer lawmakers from both parties a chance to question the witnesses. | What: The House Intelligence Committee, led by its chairman, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, will offer lawmakers from both parties a chance to question the witnesses. |
| When and Where: The proceedings start at 10 a.m. Eastern in the one of the grandest hearing rooms the House has: the vaulted, columned chambers of the Ways and Means Committee. (Democrats intentionally chose the chambers as the backdrop.) We expect the hearing to go until midafternoon. | When and Where: The proceedings start at 10 a.m. Eastern in the one of the grandest hearing rooms the House has: the vaulted, columned chambers of the Ways and Means Committee. (Democrats intentionally chose the chambers as the backdrop.) We expect the hearing to go until midafternoon. |
| How to Watch: The New York Times will stream the testimony live, and a team of reporters in Washington will provide real-time context and analysis of the events on Capitol Hill. Follow along at nytimes.com, starting a few minutes before 10 a.m. | How to Watch: The New York Times will stream the testimony live, and a team of reporters in Washington will provide real-time context and analysis of the events on Capitol Hill. Follow along at nytimes.com, starting a few minutes before 10 a.m. |
| The Democratic case against the president is built around four major issues that the president’s critics say prove that Mr. Trump abused his office: | The Democratic case against the president is built around four major issues that the president’s critics say prove that Mr. Trump abused his office: |
| Current and former diplomats and national security officials have described to investigators how Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, led a shadow foreign policy in Ukraine that circumvented career foreign service officers and established diplomatic channels in an effort to further Mr. Trump’s political agenda. | Current and former diplomats and national security officials have described to investigators how Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, led a shadow foreign policy in Ukraine that circumvented career foreign service officers and established diplomatic channels in an effort to further Mr. Trump’s political agenda. |
| Mr. Kent told investigators that Mr. Giuliani’s influence over Mr. Trump when it came to Ukraine was “almost unmissable,” and that Mr. Giuliani led a “highly irregular” channel of policymaking on Ukraine. | Mr. Kent told investigators that Mr. Giuliani’s influence over Mr. Trump when it came to Ukraine was “almost unmissable,” and that Mr. Giuliani led a “highly irregular” channel of policymaking on Ukraine. |
| Congress approved nearly $400 million in security aid to help Ukraine counter Russian aggression. But witnesses have testified that the aid was abruptly frozen at the direction of the acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and the Office of Management and Budget. They have said they were alarmed to learn that the aid would not be restarted unless Ukraine agreed to publicly announce the investigations that Mr. Trump wanted. | Congress approved nearly $400 million in security aid to help Ukraine counter Russian aggression. But witnesses have testified that the aid was abruptly frozen at the direction of the acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and the Office of Management and Budget. They have said they were alarmed to learn that the aid would not be restarted unless Ukraine agreed to publicly announce the investigations that Mr. Trump wanted. |
| In gripping closed-door testimony, Mr. Taylor recalled having seen firsthand Ukraine’s need for the security aid when he traveled to the country and witnessed its soldiers facing Russian forces across a damaged bridge. He told lawmakers that he knew at that time that “more Ukrainians would undoubtedly die without the U.S. assistance.” | In gripping closed-door testimony, Mr. Taylor recalled having seen firsthand Ukraine’s need for the security aid when he traveled to the country and witnessed its soldiers facing Russian forces across a damaged bridge. He told lawmakers that he knew at that time that “more Ukrainians would undoubtedly die without the U.S. assistance.” |
| At the heart of the Democratic case is the reconstructed transcript released by the White House of the July phone call between Mr. Trump and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. In the call, Mr. Trump asked Mr. Zelensky, newly elected as Ukraine’s leader, to “do us a favor” and investigate the former vice president, as well as a conspiracy theory that asserts that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 election to help Democrats, not Mr. Trump. | At the heart of the Democratic case is the reconstructed transcript released by the White House of the July phone call between Mr. Trump and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. In the call, Mr. Trump asked Mr. Zelensky, newly elected as Ukraine’s leader, to “do us a favor” and investigate the former vice president, as well as a conspiracy theory that asserts that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 election to help Democrats, not Mr. Trump. |
| Both sides have used the call to bolster their arguments. Democrats say it is direct evidence of Mr. Trump’s culpability in the pressure campaign. Republicans note that there is no direct mention during the call of the security aid and argue it falls far short of providing proof that the president was involved in abusing his office. Mr. Trump has insisted repeatedly that the call was “perfect” and exonerates him. | Both sides have used the call to bolster their arguments. Democrats say it is direct evidence of Mr. Trump’s culpability in the pressure campaign. Republicans note that there is no direct mention during the call of the security aid and argue it falls far short of providing proof that the president was involved in abusing his office. Mr. Trump has insisted repeatedly that the call was “perfect” and exonerates him. |
| Among the most personal moments during Wednesday’s hearing is likely to be discussion of the ouster of Ms. Yovanovitch from her post as ambassador to Ukraine. Several witnesses have testified about a smear campaign led by Mr. Giuliani to damage Ms. Yovanovitch’s reputation and oust her. | Among the most personal moments during Wednesday’s hearing is likely to be discussion of the ouster of Ms. Yovanovitch from her post as ambassador to Ukraine. Several witnesses have testified about a smear campaign led by Mr. Giuliani to damage Ms. Yovanovitch’s reputation and oust her. |
| Philip T. Reeker, the acting assistant secretary in charge of European and Eurasian Affairs, told investigators that the effort to cast Ms. Yovanovitch as a “liberal outpost” was a “fake narrative” that “really is without merit or validation.”— Michael D. Shear | Philip T. Reeker, the acting assistant secretary in charge of European and Eurasian Affairs, told investigators that the effort to cast Ms. Yovanovitch as a “liberal outpost” was a “fake narrative” that “really is without merit or validation.”— Michael D. Shear |
| Mr. Taylor and Mr. Kent have already appeared for closed-door depositions in the inquiry. You can read the transcripts of those sessions: Mr. Taylor’s testimony; Mr. Kent’s testimony. | Mr. Taylor and Mr. Kent have already appeared for closed-door depositions in the inquiry. You can read the transcripts of those sessions: Mr. Taylor’s testimony; Mr. Kent’s testimony. |
| Mr. Trump repeatedly pressured Mr. Zelensky 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. | Mr. Trump repeatedly pressured Mr. Zelensky 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. |
| Ms. 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 and here’s why political influence in foreign policy matters. | Ms. 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 and here’s why political influence in foreign policy matters. |
| 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. |
| Read about the Democrats’ rules to govern impeachment proceedings. | Read about the Democrats’ rules to govern impeachment proceedings. |