Formal democrat says he has violated constitution in seeking help to hurt Democratic opponent Joe Biden.
WASHINGTON: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, saying he had violated the constitution in seeking help from Ukraine to hurt Democratic opponent Joe Biden.
“The actions of the Trump presidency revealed dishonorable fact of the president’s betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security and betrayal of the integrity of our elections,” she said.
“Therefore, I’m announcing the House of Representatives moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry.”
Pelosi spoke after meeting fellow members of the Democratic House caucus, where impeachment calls are surging despite concerns by leadership that the move could hurt their chances in the 2020 election.
The announcement was sparked by a scandal over Trump’s reported attempt to pressure the incoming president of Ukraine to open a corruption investigation into his main challenger for the White House, Joe Biden, and Biden’s son Hunter.
“I know what their purpose was. And we proceeded with balance and caution as we wrote the laws.
“I can say with authority, the Trump administration’s actions undermine both — our national security and our intelligence — and our protections of the whistleblowers, more than both.”