House Judiciary Committee to debate formalising Trump impeachment probe
The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee will today begin considering whether to formalise an investigation that could lead to the impeachment of President Donald Trump by the end of the year.
The measure would allow for aggressive questioning of witnesses by committee attorneys, set procedures for reviewing grand jury material and allow the White House to respond in writing to evidence and testimony.
House Democrats have increased investigations into Mr Trump since they returned from summer recess on September 9. While the judiciary committee has primarily focused on Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, it has since broadened the inquiry to other kinds of potential misconduct. This includes accusations that Trump has improperly mixed his business interests with his role as president, dangled pardons to encourage misconduct and paid money to silence women claiming to have had affairs with him.
If the committee approves the resolution, which appears likely, Democratic leaders must then decide if a full House vote on impeachment is required. While at least 134 House Democrats support impeachment, further proceedings could prove risky for Democrats that hail from swing districts where impeachment is unpopular. Ultimately, if the case against Mr Trump gets stronger, Democrats also risk looking feckless in their attempts to hold the president to account.
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