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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
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 25 2019, @12:22AM (3 children)
I guess you need a reminder that Trump literally said to take their guns and worry about due process later. You idiots prop up the very nightmare you lose sleep over.
Sorry, shouldn't call you idiots. Informationally challenged.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Wednesday September 25 2019, @01:23AM (2 children)
You seem under the misimpression I like Trump. I do feel sympathy for him based on the unrelenting unprecedented level of hate spewed at him by the media, but let us not forget, he was originally a NY Democrat. It is thus unsurprising he has a warped view of the 2A or 5A.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 25 2019, @07:33PM (1 child)
You spew propaganda and try to mitigate. Trump is a criminal and a traitor, so having any sympathy for him makes you not look good to put it mildly. Sorry reality has you so turned around, drop your political filters and wake up.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Thursday September 26 2019, @07:08PM
The problem with Dems today is that they can't respect honest differences of opinion. When you treat everyone with derision, and browbeat or bully to get your way, you remove the only peaceful means of resolving differences available to us (compromise) and set us up for more than a war of words in the future. Terribly short sighted.