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impeachment inquiry hearings thread

henrygandorf

By henrygandorf
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TexasEd
TexasEd

I voted for Trump/Against Hilary Clinton.   He should be impeached for: Extortion of a foreign government by withholding military assistance to an ally (and benefitting Russia) in exchange

Paul Wesley
Paul Wesley

I'm a couple pages back in this fast-moving thread, but I wanted to respond to this.   I'm pretty close to you in demographics, and I was also a child who echoed his parents' pro-Reagan stance, a

Tailgate
Tailgate

Unreal. Biden’s son can take home $1m a year from a Ukrainian company he knows nothing about...but our president acts like the CEO of a company with leverage in cutting deals and this shit happens?

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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13509

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Jack Straw said:

the whistleblower will be killed if their identity is revealed.  this is what Trump and Republicans want - for the message to be sent that no one should attempt to hold them accountable for their treason 

exactly. Trump is the type that walks into the room and punches the biggest person;  threatening all others if they step out of line. He wants to ruin the whistleblower to prevent the next one.  

Trump did this when he got to DC and forced Paul Ryan to back down almost immediately. At that point, the GOP House lost all backbone.

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DigglerontheHoof

DigglerontheHoof 21183

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

exactly. Trump is the type that pays someone else to walk into the room and punches the biggest person;  threatening all others if they step out of line. He wants to ruin the whistleblower to prevent the next one.  

Trump did this when he got to DC and forced Paul Ryan to back down almost immediately. At that point, the GOP House lost all backbone.

Fify.  Trump is a coward.  He couldn’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag.

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Tuco

Tuco 5076

Posted
Posted

I have a feeling that part of the "out the whistleblower" movement is driven by Trump's neurosis.  I am willing to bet it drives him absolutely nuts to know that there is at least one person out of a tight group who is "disloyal."  For Last Airbender fans, I imagine morning briefings to look like this... 

spacer.png

(Yes, I'm a dork.) 

 

 

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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13509

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

Fify.  Trump is a coward.  He couldn’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag.

I agree that in person Trump is a coward. It's possible that the only person he's fired face to face was Reince. But he plays the toughest guy in the world over Twitter. He's also the classic guy that loves contact sports like boxing or UFC because he thinks he makes him tough.

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triplehorn

triplehorn 2664

Posted
Posted
34 minutes ago, LongestHorn said:

Bolton didn’t show up.

Staff legal counsel hired by Pelosi took the right approach.  Focus on the one at the top.  If/when the courts rule McGahn can be compelled to testify, all the rest of the witnesses, including Bolton, will form a cascade.

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Pig Bellmont

Pig Bellmont 8712

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Bolton playing it smart and avoiding potential lawsuits from Trump/problems with DOJ?

He’s still a political hack, but one that doesn’t want to go to prison for obstruction. The other case gives him cover and the leaks bolster his stature “look I *want* to cooperate, there’s just this minor complete bullshit the court has to strike down (and appeals exhausted) before I can”

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sachick

sachick 1189

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, triplehorn said:

Staff legal counsel hired by Pelosi took the right approach.  Focus on the one at the top.  If/when the courts rule McGahn can be compelled to testify, all the rest of the witnesses, including Bolton, will form a cascade.

How long will this case take though? Does "faster" mean a few weeks or months?

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Captainant

Captainant 27638

Posted
Posted

As is tradition, Kent's testimony transcript has been released by the House and can be found here. Yall ready for some highlights from the key excerpts?

  • Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was recalled because Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman, and others “started reaching out actively to undermine Ambassador Yovanovitch.” (Page 181)
  • Yuriy Lutsenko made a private trip to New York to meet with Rudy Giuliani in order to “throw mud” at State Department officials, including Mr. Kent and Ambassador Yovanovitch. (Page 50-51)
  • Mr. Giuliani was “almost unmissable” as the “campaign of slander” against Ambassador Yovanovitch and others unfolded in Ukraine and the United States. (Page 57-58, 178-179)
  • The State Department reached “the breaking point of our disillusionment with Yuriy Lutsenko,” the Ukrainian prosecutor general, when they discovered he was “essentially colluding with a corrupt official” to undermine a legitimate investigation into fake passports. (Page 145-146) [note from me: Lutsenko is the guy that the west supported ousting, and whom trump/guiliani are saying was the "good guy"]
  • Mr. Kent unsuccessfully pressed the State Department to issue a “clear statement of support for Ambassador Yovanovitch” after a series of “falsehoods” and “Tweets by members of the Presidential family.” (Page 65-66)
  • Ambassador Gordon Sondland suggested that Ambassador Yovanovitch “do a video or tweet declaring full support for the foreign policy of President Trump.” (Page 67)
  • The United States “had our Ambassador just removed through actions by corrupt Ukrainians in Ukraine as well as private American citizens back here.” (Page 133-134)
  • Rudy Giuliani “had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information,” and his “assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period.” (Page 130-131)
  • Ambassador Kurt Volker, Ambassador Sondland, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry asserted that they “had the mandate to take the lead on coordinating efforts to engage the new Ukrainian leadership.” (Page 202-203)
  • Ambassador Volker had a private discussion with President Zelensky “to underscore the importance of the messaging that Zelensky needed to provide to President Trump about his willingness to be cooperative.” (Page 242-244)
  • Ambassador Volker said “he planned to start reaching out to” Rudy Giuliani because “it was clear that the former mayor had influence on the President in terms of the way the President thought of Ukraine.” (Page 246-247)
  • There was “great confusion” during a call on July 18, 2019, when an OMB official announced that “the acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, at the direction of the President had put a hold on all security assistance to the Ukraine.” (Page 303-304, 310)
  • In August 2019, Mr. Kent had “growing concerns that individuals were pushing communications with Ukrainians that had not been discussed and endorsed in the formal policy process.” (Page 266-267)
  • Asking Ukraine to investigate someone for political reasons “goes against everything that we are trying to promote in post-Soviet states for the last 28 years, which is the promotion of the rule of law.” (Page 261-262)
  • After Ambassador Volker raised with a senior aide to President Zelensky that President Trump and Rudy Giuliani were interested in initiating investigations, Mr. Kent said, “that’s wrong, and we shouldn’t be doing that as a matter of U.S. policy.” (Page 262-263)
  • In August 16, 2019, Mr. Kent memorialized these conversations in a memorandum, in which he expressed “concerns that there was an effort to initiate politically motivated prosecutions that were injurious to the rule of law, both Ukraine and U.S.” (Page 263-265)
  • In September 2019, according to Ambassador Sondland, “POTUS wanted nothing less than President Zelensky to go to microphone and say investigations, Biden, and Clinton.” (Page 267-268, 274-275)
  • Ambassador Sondland was “pushing” for President Zelensky to “send a public signal of announcing a willingness to pursue investigations” in order to “clear the way for both the White House visit as well as the resumption or the clearing of the administrative hold on security assistance,” despite claims by Mr. Morrison and Mr. Sondland that they did not believe the issues were “linked”. (Page 268-269)
  • The State Department delayed in issuing internal instructions to collect documents in response to the Committees’ September 9 or September 23 letters, or the September 27 subpoena. (Page 26-27)
  • On October 1, 2019, Mr. Kent alerted the Director General of the Foreign Service and the Acting Legal Adviser of the State Department that Secretary Pompeo’s letter to the Committees, sent earlier that day, was inaccurate. (Page 26-27)
  • On October 3, 2019, Mr. Kent raised concerns with State Department officials about their delay in responding to the Committees’ subpoena and inaccuracies in Secretary Pompeo’s October 1, 2019, letter to the Committees. (Page 31-36)

More corroborating evidence. More papertrails. More signs that it may well be a merry christmas.

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DDD Dad

DDD Dad 14326

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was recalled because Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman, and others “started reaching out actively to undermine Ambassador Yovanovitch.” (Page 181)

One of the others being our very own Pete Sessions.

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DDD Dad

DDD Dad 14326

Posted
Posted (edited)
24 minutes ago, Captainant said:

As is tradition, Kent's testimony transcript has been released by the House and can be found here. Yall ready for some highlights from the key excerpts?

  • Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was recalled because Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman, and others “started reaching out actively to undermine Ambassador Yovanovitch.” (Page 181)
  • Yuriy Lutsenko made a private trip to New York to meet with Rudy Giuliani in order to “throw mud” at State Department officials, including Mr. Kent and Ambassador Yovanovitch. (Page 50-51)
  • Mr. Giuliani was “almost unmissable” as the “campaign of slander” against Ambassador Yovanovitch and others unfolded in Ukraine and the United States. (Page 57-58, 178-179)
  • The State Department reached “the breaking point of our disillusionment with Yuriy Lutsenko,” the Ukrainian prosecutor general, when they discovered he was “essentially colluding with a corrupt official” to undermine a legitimate investigation into fake passports. (Page 145-146) [note from me: Lutsenko is the guy that the west supported ousting, and whom trump/guiliani are saying was the "good guy"]
  • Mr. Kent unsuccessfully pressed the State Department to issue a “clear statement of support for Ambassador Yovanovitch” after a series of “falsehoods” and “Tweets by members of the Presidential family.” (Page 65-66)
  • Ambassador Gordon Sondland suggested that Ambassador Yovanovitch “do a video or tweet declaring full support for the foreign policy of President Trump.” (Page 67)
  • The United States “had our Ambassador just removed through actions by corrupt Ukrainians in Ukraine as well as private American citizens back here.” (Page 133-134)
  • Rudy Giuliani “had been carrying on a campaign for several months full of lies and incorrect information,” and his “assertions and allegations against former Ambassador Yovanovitch were without basis, untrue, period.” (Page 130-131)
  • Ambassador Kurt Volker, Ambassador Sondland, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry asserted that they “had the mandate to take the lead on coordinating efforts to engage the new Ukrainian leadership.” (Page 202-203)
  • Ambassador Volker had a private discussion with President Zelensky “to underscore the importance of the messaging that Zelensky needed to provide to President Trump about his willingness to be cooperative.” (Page 242-244)
  • Ambassador Volker said “he planned to start reaching out to” Rudy Giuliani because “it was clear that the former mayor had influence on the President in terms of the way the President thought of Ukraine.” (Page 246-247)
  • There was “great confusion” during a call on July 18, 2019, when an OMB official announced that “the acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, at the direction of the President had put a hold on all security assistance to the Ukraine.” (Page 303-304, 310)
  • In August 2019, Mr. Kent had “growing concerns that individuals were pushing communications with Ukrainians that had not been discussed and endorsed in the formal policy process.” (Page 266-267)
  • Asking Ukraine to investigate someone for political reasons “goes against everything that we are trying to promote in post-Soviet states for the last 28 years, which is the promotion of the rule of law.” (Page 261-262)
  • After Ambassador Volker raised with a senior aide to President Zelensky that President Trump and Rudy Giuliani were interested in initiating investigations, Mr. Kent said, “that’s wrong, and we shouldn’t be doing that as a matter of U.S. policy.” (Page 262-263)
  • In August 16, 2019, Mr. Kent memorialized these conversations in a memorandum, in which he expressed “concerns that there was an effort to initiate politically motivated prosecutions that were injurious to the rule of law, both Ukraine and U.S.” (Page 263-265)
  • In September 2019, according to Ambassador Sondland, “POTUS wanted nothing less than President Zelensky to go to microphone and say investigations, Biden, and Clinton.” (Page 267-268, 274-275)
  • Ambassador Sondland was “pushing” for President Zelensky to “send a public signal of announcing a willingness to pursue investigations” in order to “clear the way for both the White House visit as well as the resumption or the clearing of the administrative hold on security assistance,” despite claims by Mr. Morrison and Mr. Sondland that they did not believe the issues were “linked”. (Page 268-269)
  • The State Department delayed in issuing internal instructions to collect documents in response to the Committees’ September 9 or September 23 letters, or the September 27 subpoena. (Page 26-27)
  • On October 1, 2019, Mr. Kent alerted the Director General of the Foreign Service and the Acting Legal Adviser of the State Department that Secretary Pompeo’s letter to the Committees, sent earlier that day, was inaccurate. (Page 26-27)
  • On October 3, 2019, Mr. Kent raised concerns with State Department officials about their delay in responding to the Committees’ subpoena and inaccuracies in Secretary Pompeo’s October 1, 2019, letter to the Committees. (Page 31-36)

More corroborating evidence. More papertrails. More signs that it may well be a merry christmas.

But, this was behind closed doors, and the President's party wasn't able to cross-examine these witnesses!

No due process!

Also, Kent never said "quid pro quo"!

/Meadows

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Captainant

Captainant 27638

Posted
Posted
Just now, DDD Dad said:

But, this was behind closed doors, and the President's party wasn't able to cross-examine these witnesses!

this is especially hilariously wrong in light of the transcript released yesterday where the chair literally said "you're allowed to ask questions" and then the GOP members just kept at it bitching that they weren't allowed to ask questions

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Tuco

Tuco 5076

Posted
Posted
29 minutes ago, Captainant said:

As is tradition, Kent's testimony transcript has been released by the House and can be found here. Yall ready for some highlights from the key excerpts?

You can see why they delayed this release until after Sondland came back in to correct his testimony.  Trump won't be removed, but hopefully some of his sycophants will do some time. 

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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45665

Posted
Posted

Also, from the postscript in that article, I think this is kinda where I'm at:

Quote

I’m perfectly happy for the impeachment probe to go on forever. I don’t think it ruins the Democratic primaries at all, but every week brings new revelations and you never know when someone is accidentally going to let slip something that’s a brand new surprise. I would personally be delighted if the Senate were voting on impeachment next Halloween.

 

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atomheartbevo

atomheartbevo 89629

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Honestly, the fear of a President Pelosi will do more to ensure the Senate Rs don't convict, I'm afraid. 

Counterpoint: President Pelosi would drive Republican fundraising through the fucking roof.  

If it happened quickly enough, it also gives the Republicans a chance to run somebody next year who has a better chance of winning than Trump, somebody who won’t shit all over Republicans’ pet project (Kurds, etc.), and somebody who....”respects” the process, and will talk with Republicans before major actions, rather than throwing new policies or policy reversals out on twitter, catching them off guard.  

Just as important, the Republicans in Congress will be able to spend more of their time on camera talking about themselves, rather than being forced to defend Trump.  

Don't think some haven’t considered it.   At this point, there’s a good chance the Dems will win against Trump next November.   Hitting the reset button, tossing Pelosi in the mix, gives them instant campaign ads as well.  

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Pasken

Pasken 1309

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

It'll never happen.  Trump needs a president Pence to provide him a pardon, so he'll resign first and let Pence take his chances.

I think it's more likely Trump just refuses to leave office even if he's removed by the Senate.

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atomheartbevo

atomheartbevo 89629

Posted
Posted (edited)
21 minutes ago, Pasken said:

I think it's more likely Trump just refuses to leave office even if he's removed by the Senate.

Can’t wait for somebody to inform him that he stops being president the moment Roberts swears somebody else in.   That will be a fun tweet.   

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Jack Straw

Jack Straw 2954

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Can’t wait for somebody to inform him that he stops being president the moment Roberts swears somebody else in.   That will be a fun tweet.   

its funny that people think that Republicans are going to allow Trump to be "voted out" of office, under any circumstances. 

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Junior Miller

Junior Miller 1502

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Posted

If this stink gets bad enough, and it may already be, there might not be anything anyone can do. If the economy stalls even further over the next 12 months Trump will probably have no chance. 

We've gotten into the rut of electing republicans who get us into wars or foreign issues while allowing major corporations/banks to tank the American economy with shady practices then electing democrats to get us out of it. Then when we're out the republicans get elected once again. 

Time to go straight D for about a 16 to 20 year span and see where that gets us. Can't be worse than the garbage the republicans have gotten us into in the last 39 years. 

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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13509

Posted
Posted

If Russia ever wanted to start a nuclear war with the US without the worry about an immediate retaliation, I think the impeachment hearings would be the appropriate time. 

 

Military aide: Mr. President, there are 1000 inbound Russian ICBMs. We need to talk about this right this moment in the Situation Room on our immediate response

Trump: Not now, I have several tweets to make about this kangaroo court they are calling a hearing.  I can be reached when they break in 5 hours.

 

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