House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday instructed Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) to draft articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump over his alleged abuses of power in dealing with Ukraine.
The announcement comes after a day of hearings before Nadler’s committee in which four law professors gave their opinions about the president’s reported actions.
Like the witnesses, Pelosi accused President Trump of abusing his office for personal gain.
“The president’s actions have seriously violated the constitution,” Pelosi said. “Our Democracy is what is at stake. The president leaves us no choice but to act.”
In a closed-door meeting with House Democrats on the day prior to the announcement, Pelosi asked, “Are you ready?” According to those in the room, the answer was a resounding yes.
Democrats allege the president threatened to withhold military aid from Ukraine unless that country’s leadership agreed to open investigations into corruption charges relating to Joe and Hunter Biden, as well as reported 2016 election interference on behalf of Hillary Clinton.
A CIA whistleblower reported that the alleged “quid pro quo” occurred during a July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The White House has since released a rough transcript of that call, which did not contain any evidence of such a request.
Zelensky has said he did not feel pressured and that there was no quid pro quo. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.