WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump solicited foreign interference to boost his chances of re-election next year, undermined national security and ordered an “unprecedented” campaign to obstruct Congress, Democrats said in a report on Tuesday that will form the basis of any formal impeachment charges against Trump.
In a 300-page report that alleged sweeping abuse of power, the Democratic-led House of Representatives Intelligence Committee said Trump used US military aid and the prospect of a White House visit to pressure his Ukrainian counterpart to undertake probes that would benefit Trump politically.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
The Republican president “placed his own personal and political interests above the national interests of the United States, sought to undermine the integrity of the US presidential election process, and endangered US national security,” the report said.
Democrats, who began the formal impeachment inquiry in September, also accused Trump of an “unprecedented” effort to obstruct the investigation, including refusing to provide documents and testimony from his top advisers, unsuccessful attempts to block career government officials from testifying and intimidation of witnesses.
“The evidence of the President’s misconduct is overwhelming, and so too is the evidence of his obstruction of Congress,” it said, adding that the wrongdoing was “not an isolated occurrence.”
In a news conference following the release of the report, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff described Trump as a “president who believes that he is beyond indictment, beyond impeachment, beyond any form of accountability and indeed above the law.”
Trump, who is in London for a NATO summit, accused Democrats of using the impeachment process to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election. Opinion polls show Americans are bitterly divided over whether to impeach Trump.
Courtesy: REUTERS
