House Judiciary Committee opens next impeachment phase with rancor, legal debate

WASHINGTON – Three constitutional lawyers characterized President Donald Trump’s actions toward Ukraine as a serious abuse of power that constitutes high crimes and misdemeanors during impeachment hearings Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee. “When President Trump invited – indeed, demanded…

Former adviser tells impeachment inquiry Trump envoy was on ‘domestic political errand’

WASHINGTON – Former National Security Council Russia expert Fiona Hill and diplomat David Holmes testified in what may be the final public impeachment hearing Thursday, reinforcing previous witnesses’ assertions that President Donald Trump directly linked a White House meeting and…

Officials detail ‘unusual’ call between Trump and Ukraine leader

WASHINGTON – Two White House officials and a former official with key roles in shaping the Trump administration’s policy towards Ukraine testified Tuesday to Congress that they considered improper a July call by President Donald Trump to Ukraine’s president linking…

Van Hollen, Beyer propose surtax on millionaires

WASHINGTON – The richest 1% of Americans control more wealth than the entire middle class combined, according to the Brookings Institution – a striking sign of income inequality that has accelerated since the Great Recession. A bill introduced last week…

In first public impeachment hearing, revelations of new Trump Ukraine call

WASHINGTON – During the first public hearing of the House impeachment inquiry, Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor revealed Wednesday that his aide overheard Donald Trump asking about “the investigations” in a July 26 phone call with U.S. Ambassador…

A divided House approves path to possible Trump impeachment

WASHINGTON — House Democrats Thursday formalized the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, as they shifted the proceedings to a more public phase and made the case for the president’s removal from office. The House passed a resolution by a…

In Baltimore, presidents, family and friends bid Cummings a final farewell

BALTIMORE – Three days of commemorations for the late Rep. Elijah Cummings concluded Friday with a funeral service marked by eloquence, tears, laughter and pointed political commentary at New Psalmist Baptist Church.  Two former presidents, members of his staff, friends…

House slows impeachment probe amidst Cummings commemorations

WASHINGTON – The nation’s capital and the late Elijah Cummings’s hometown of Baltimore are observing three days of commemorations of his life this week, slightly slowing the House impeachment inquiry. But Cummings’s oversight panel intends to carry on his work, Acting…

White House Ukraine call summary “damning,” Hoyer, other Democrats, say

WASHINGTON – Democratic lawmakers escalated the partisan furor over the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump Wednesday after the White House released a summary of a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Democrats called “damning.” The president asked…

The Washington Bullpen, Episode 7

WASHINGTON – On this week’s episode of “The Washington Bullpen” podcast, host Jarod Golub has the latest on the pipe bombs that were mailed to the Obamas and other prominent Democratic critics of President Donald Trump, an update on the…