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posted by martyb on Tuesday September 24 2019, @01:57AM   Printer-friendly
from the Watergate-or-TeapotTempest dept.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49800181

(Note: emphasis in original.)

Why is this important?

Mr Trump's most ardent critics accuse him of using the powers of the presidency to bully Ukraine into digging up damaging information on a political rival, Democrat Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump and his supporters the former vice-president abused his power to pressure Ukraine to back away from a criminal investigation that could implicate his son, Hunter.

Mr Biden is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination to take on Mr Trump next year.

In other words, it is nothing less than the White House at stake.

[...] What happened to the whistleblower's complaint?

After receiving the [whistleblower] complaint, the inspector general informed Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence, and said the matter was "urgent". The intelligence community whistleblower law says the director has seven days to pass the complaint along to congressional intelligence committees.

That didn't happen.

Instead, Mr Maguire spoke to a lawyer who told him the issue was not "urgent", at least according to legal standards, according to [T]he New York Times.

As a result, Mr Maguire decided that the members of the congressional oversight committees did not need to see it.

On 9 September, the inspector general informed Congress about the complaint's existence, but not the details. Democrats in Congress have since clamoured for more information - including a transcript of Mr Trump's call - but the administration has refused to co-operate.

And that's where things currently stand.

[...] Did Mr Trump commit an impeachable offence?

The constitutional process for handling a president who committed illegal and-or unethical acts is impeachment by a majority of the House of Representatives and conviction and removal by a two-thirds majority of the US Senate.

The US constitution outlines the grounds for impeachment as "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors". When it comes down to it, an "impeachable offense" is whatever a majority of the House says it is.

Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Letters to Congressional Intelligence Committees


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by aristarchus on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:32AM (1 child)

    by aristarchus (2645) on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:32AM (#898029) Journal

    Once again, the c0lo wins the thread with calm and measured commentary. I have a difficult time believing that he posts from Australia. But then, if you want to go where wackos were sent to work out their eccentricities against the hard stone of the outback, reality has a well known liberal bias, especially in the outback, so the only Auzzie conservative are from the cities. And they seem to have British genes. OH, so sad! The Microclitorians, they do nothing!

    But then, what was the point, anyway? Time limit? Janrinok acceptance conditions? All this remains a mystery to regular
      Soylentils, as well as others.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 25 2019, @12:25AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 25 2019, @12:25AM (#898338)

    Ya for real. "What is this Ukraine fuss about?" Like the first time you see it doesn't give you the info. Such a hackish way to push propaganda and steer the conversation.

    Assholes!