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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


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  • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:22AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:22AM (#898025)

    Most of the Republicans I know are relatively reasonable people.

    If this is actually the case (dubious), then those people are Democrats. They may not have actually changed their registration yet, but definitely Democrats. The Democratic party has have so many refugees, it makes the Syrian debacle look like nothing. The only things left are Trump-spawn, Guliani, MarySueKellyanneConmyway, and that person who is not a Huckabee, Hallejujah!

    So, to push back against your agitprop disinformation, you do not know that the Republicans you know are relatively reasonable, because, if they were, they would not be Republicans, and, even if they were, they would not be Republicans.

    I now treat Republicans as I do Nazis: if I come across one, I punch them in the face. Entertains onlookers, does no damage to the Republican, since they have not soul or moral compass to begin with. ("Why did you punch me?" Because you are the source of all evil in the Senate. "Oh, now, can all us demons go back to Kentucky now? I don't blame you." Yes, but no more bewitching turtles! )

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  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:26AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:26AM (#898027)

    You've now forfeited one Oreo.

    Better eat the other one before you put your foot back in your mouth.

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by hemocyanin on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:35AM

    by hemocyanin (186) on Tuesday September 24 2019, @08:35AM (#898032) Journal

    I now treat Republicans as I do Nazis

    You are either a troll or a democrat. Hard to tell the difference these days.