Explosive testimony boosts Trump impeachment case, say Democrats

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers leading an impeachment probe into Donald Trump turned their focus Tuesday to the State Department amid a torrent of explosive testimony over the president´s foreign policy that they say strengthens the case for his removal. Democrats on Capitol Hill were due to hear from George Kent, a top official in the State Department who was in on the infamous July 25 phone call in which Trump urged his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate one of the US president´s domestic political rivals.

His appearance comes a day after former White House aide Fiona Hill testified during a 10-hour deposition that Trump´s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani was running a shadow foreign policy in order to personally benefit the president, according to several US media outlets. As the Democratic 2020 hopefuls gathered in Ohio for their fourth presidential debate, lawmakers returned from a two-week recess to a deepening crisis sparked by the accusations. Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell told CNN Hill´s deposition had bolstered the argument for removing Trump, and said his party would be swift and “surgical” in building the case. “Every arrow continues to point in the same direction,” he said. But Trump accused Democrats of hiding the investigation behind closed doors, saying on Twitter: “Democrats are allowing no transparency at the Witch Hunt hearings. “Let the facts come out from the charade of people, most of whom I do not know, they are interviewing for 9 hours each, not selective leaks,” Trump fumed.

Democrats are seeking information related to Trump pressing Ukraine to uncover dirt on White House contender Joe Biden, while allegedly conditioning almost $400 million in US military aid on that favor. The Times reported that Hill said her then-boss, former national security advisor John Bolton, grew alarmed by Giuliani´s efforts, in conjunction with White House chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney, to pressure Ukraine. “I am not part of whatever drug deal Rudy and Mulvaney are cooking up,” Bolton said, according to Hill´s testimony as reported by the Times.