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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: 5, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday September 24 2019, @02:58AM (7 children)

    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Tuesday September 24 2019, @02:58AM (#897933)

    Deposing national leaders the US does not like has been SOP for the United States for well over 100 years.

    Why is it somehow a Democrat thing all of a sudden?

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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by fustakrakich on Tuesday September 24 2019, @03:14AM (6 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday September 24 2019, @03:14AM (#897938) Journal

    This stuff is always bipartisan. A democrat just happened to be president in 2014.

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday September 24 2019, @03:44AM (5 children)

      by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Tuesday September 24 2019, @03:44AM (#897947)

      Yeah, that was my point.

      It seems like Republicans are keen to pin anything they can on Democrats. Even when it makes no sense at all.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by fustakrakich on Tuesday September 24 2019, @03:50AM

        by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday September 24 2019, @03:50AM (#897952) Journal

        It makes perfect sense. That's how the theater goes. It keeps the audience focused on an ideological opposition that does not exist.

        --
        La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
      • (Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Tuesday September 24 2019, @05:43AM (3 children)

        by hemocyanin (186) on Tuesday September 24 2019, @05:43AM (#897980) Journal

        That's true, and true in reverse. Obama was GWB 2.0 and the DNC went silent. The GOP flipped out. The fact is, both of these slimeball organizations care only WHO is doing X, not whether or not X is good policy or even moral.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @03:33PM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @03:33PM (#898177)

          That is true and the DNC is quite corrupt. There is a big difference however.

          Liberals got angry about the DNC fuckery which is WHY you a-holes were able to get Trump in. Many many liberals got angry anout Obama's failed promises and his continuation of the war machine. Republucans? You can be insulted and treated like morons by Trump and you go back for more. Insane.

          • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday September 24 2019, @04:03PM (1 child)

            by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday September 24 2019, @04:03PM (#898191) Journal

            Insane.

            Just your regular abusive relationship. People want to see strength. Right or wrong, that is what they submit to. Makes them feel secure to fantasize that some of it rubs off on them. *They got their own terminator*

            --
            La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
            • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @05:38PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @05:38PM (#898224)

              Ewww, back to your usual agenda of activist apathy huh? Hope you at least get a paycheck for all this usefully apathetic cynicism.