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LAST UPDATE | 25 Sep 2019
This article was originally published on 24 September. It has been updated and republished following last night’s impeachment announcement.
A PHONE CALL between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky has been making headlines in recent days.
During this conversation Trump and Zelensky discussed Joe Biden, who is seeking the Democratic US presidential nomination and considered one of Trump’s biggest rivals.
Trump allegedly asked Ukraine to look into the business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter, who previously served on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company, Burisma Holdings.
Trump asked for this to happen no less than eight times over the course of the phone call, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump’s private lawyer Rudy Giuliani has also publicly urged Ukrainian officials to investigate the Bidens.
In the days before the phone call, Trump ordered his chief of staff to withhold almost $400 million (about €360 million) in military aid earmarked for Ukraine, according to the Washington Post and the New York Times.
ABC News / TwitterBREAKING: Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "Today, I'm announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry."
— ABC News (@ABC) September 24, 2019
"The president must be held accountable; no one is above the law." https://t.co/WZnIWjR7tP pic.twitter.com/fAM81LJUju
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi last night announced that a formal impeachment inquiry of Trump would be launched. Pelosi said the president “must be held accountable and no one is above the law”.
This week, the president has admitted to asking the President of Ukraine to take actions that would benefit him politically. The actions of the Trump presidency revealed the dishonourable fact of the president’s betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security and betrayal of our elections.
“Therefore today, I’m announcing that the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry. I’m directing our six committees to proceed with their investigations under that umbrella of impeachment inquiry,” Pelosi said in a live address.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and described the situation as the latest “witch hunt” against him.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said of Ukraine: “We’re supporting a country, we want to make sure that country is honest … Why would you give money to a country you think is corrupt?”
ABC News / TwitterAsked what he told Ukrainian leader about Biden and son, Pres. Trump says, "You're going to see."
— ABC News (@ABC) September 23, 2019
"We're supporting a country, we want to make sure that country is honest...Why would you give money to a country you think is corrupt?" https://t.co/HO9z5OVkTA pic.twitter.com/rUxKkWZiZD
Let’s take a look at what we know so far.
Whistleblower
The situation made headlines last week when it emerged that a whistleblower filed a complaint with the inspector general of the intelligence community over about a number of issues including a conversation Trump had with a foreign leader. It later emerged that the complaint related to Ukraine and the Bidens.
The Trump administration has blocked the US Congress from knowing details of the complaint, which the government’s intelligence watchdog described as “serious” and “urgent”.
Joe Biden / TwitterSo release the transcript of the call then. https://t.co/pWD7xmVLQO
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 23, 2019
Trump yesterday said he has authorised the release of a transcript of the phone call, but this has not yet happened.
Lawmakers have demanded details of the complaint, but acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire has refused to share that information, citing presidential privilege. He is due to appear before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
However, the whistleblower now wants to testify before the same committee, Chairman Adam Schiff tweeted yesterday.
“We have been informed by the whistleblower’s counsel that their client would like to speak to our committee and has requested guidance from the Acting DNI as to how to do so. We’re in touch with counsel and look forward to the whistleblower’s testimony as soon as this week,” Schiff wrote.
What has Joe Biden’s son got to do with this?
Hunter Biden was named a board member of Burisma Holdings in April 2014. The company’s founder was a political ally of Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s Russia-friendly president who was driven out in February 2014 by mass protests.
Yanukovych’s ousting prompted the Obama administration to deepen ties with Ukraine’s new government, something Joe Biden played a leading role in, travelling to Ukraine and speaking frequently with its new Western-friendly president, Petro Poroshenko.
The US began providing military aid to the government of Ukraine shortly after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014. The aid has been used by Ukraine to grapple with separatist rebels in the east, and has long been viewed as a measure of Washington’s determination to push back against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The younger Biden’s business role raised concerns among anti-corruption advocates that Burisma was seeking to gain influence with the Obama administration. At the time, the company ran a natural gas extraction operation in Crimea.
Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma. He remained on the board until early 2019, often appearing at energy-related conferences abroad representing Burisma’s interests.
On Saturday, the former US vice president said he never speaks to his son about his overseas business dealings.
The matter, however, has continued to be questioned by Trump and his allies. They’ve pointed in particular to Joe Biden’s move in March 2016 to pressure the Ukrainian government to fire its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, who had previously led an investigation into Burisma’s owner.
Biden was representing the official position of the US government, a position that was also supported by other Western governments and many in Ukraine, who accused Shokin of being soft on corruption.
Corruption has continued to fester in Ukraine. In May Zelensky,came into office with no political experience but with promises to put an end to the corrupt practices. Around this time, Giuliani began contacting Zelensky and his aides, calling for a government investigation into Burisma and Hunter Biden’s role with the company.
In a Fox News interview on 19 May, Trump claimed the former Ukrainian prosecutor “was after” Joe Biden’s son and that was why the former vice president demanded he be fired. However, there is no evidence of this.
Ukraine’s current prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, was quoted by Bloomberg News in May as saying he had no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden or his son. Bloomberg also reported that the investigation into Burisma was dormant at the time Biden pressed for Shokhin to be ousted.
Echoes of investigation into Russian interference
Many people have pointed to the similarities between the current controversy and Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Russian officials contacted members of Trump’s campaign team at the time, saying they had information that could damage his then rival for the presidency, Hillary Clinton.
Special counsel Robert Mueller in March concluded his investigation into links between Russia and members of Trump’s campaign. His report, published in April, outlined numerous contacts between Russian officials and Trump’s campaign, but found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy.
It also gave several examples of incidents in which Trump sought to hinder the investigation, but it did not draw any conclusions on whether Trump obstructed justice.
The Ukraine situation is different in a number of ways including that in this instance Trump contacted a foreign leader, rather than the other way around, and did so while in office, rather than as a presidential candidate.
Some Democrats believe the current controversy carries more weight and, as such, could lead to him being impeached.
Impeachment
Democrats previously considered initiating impeachment proceedings over Trump’s alleged dealings with Russia but did not do so.
Pelosi announced the formal impeachment inquiry after more than 150 of the 235 Democratic members of the 435-seat House came out in support of impeachment.
No House Republicans have come out in favour of impeachment and Republicans currently control the Senate, making Trump’s ultimate conviction unlikely.
For a US president to be successfully impeached and removed from office, the article or articles of impeachment must be passed by a simple majority in the House of Representatives and then a charge must be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
Pelosi has been reluctant to proceed until she was confident there was evidence she felt Republicans could not ignore.
Impeachment proceedings can be initiated when lawmakers believe a president is guilty of what the US Constitution calls “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”.
Any member can introduce an impeachment resolution, which like any other bill would be sent to a committee – most likely the House Judiciary Committee. The committee can review the evidence it receives, or carry out an investigation itself.
If the evidence is strong enough, the committee crafts articles of impeachment — criminal charges — and sends them to the full House for a vote.
No US president has been ousted from office by impeachment, but even the threat can bring one down — Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 to avoid certain removal amid the Watergate scandal.
Two presidents beat the process: the House formally impeached Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, but in both cases they were acquitted in the Senate.
Contains reporting from Associated Press and © AFP 2019
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All these people on here giving out about workers getting an extra day off a year obviously just dole merchants sitting at home scratching themselves, bitter that someone might be given a day less to contribute tax to their income. As a hard working employee I very much welcome the chance of an extra day or two a year off. Bring it on. If you’re giving out you probably aren’t working hard enough.
@Harry Paisley: jog on
@Harry Paisley: I am inclined to agree, mainly because, apart from public services, which operate in a different dimension, most working people need full time jobs to make a basic income. This drift to reduced working weeks, work from home, and extended holidays will cause more part time employment in the open economy.
PBP, the party of the work-shy, dole scroungers
@Jon Balfour: Point to the mythical millions on the dole if you like but it’s the people doing 40 hour weeks for little reward that need a break.
@Jon Balfour: not a fan of pbp but this benefits workers not dole scroungers.
@Jon Balfour: Reading is clearly a very weak point for you, amongst a lot of things.
@Jon Balfour: so PBP are trying to do something for workers and you associate this will people on the dole? Did you leave school in 5th class?
@Jon Balfour: In European terms we have one of the lowest number of bank holidays and that’s even after the addition of the latest one.
@barry williams: but most low paid retail and hospitality jobs work bankholidays anyway
@Jon Balfour: why would they bother then if every day was a waster day.
@Sickof thisshit: don’t mind the harry lad he’s a small knob and takes it out on everyone
@Jon Balfour: PBP aka Palestinians Before Patriots
Closest we’ll get to a 4 day week. At least we’ll get it once a month or so. When was the last time you heard anything about a four day week for workers?
Should be one every month
@Alan Moloney: and a bank holiday Friday at the end of the month
An absolute joke.
The school year for example has been shortened by a day for the February bank holiday. Will this mean two more days taken from the year?
@Alan OConnor: No it hasn’t. Primary schools still so 183 a year
@Alan OConnor: what if it does? I’d like to spend more time with my kid
@Lorry R: exactly. He either hates kids or teachers
Literally far more pressing and and important issues at hand other than token days off to appease the masses. We don’t need to follow the status quo of every other European country
@Sinead Merrigan: Speak for yourself Sinead, I’ll take them! Prefer one in July though.
@Sinead Merrigan: if you have any spare annual leave left will you fire it over to me? Thanks.
@sean whelan: what is this obsession with a July bank holiday?! Weather isn’t even good in July most the time! Give a September one.
@Sinead Merrigan: your on the dole yea?
@Chris: quite the assumption to make. No I’m not on the dole, I work a full time job and also volunteer in the community
If they are going to have an extra holiday have it in July for God sake when it’s of some use to people, and not the end of November when it’s freezing and have about 7 hours of daylight.
@John Brennan: farmers don’t want to give workers the day off in busy summer season
Not a lot going on in farming community in winter
Are these Politicians going to Close every Buisness in the Country, if Wages and Holidays increase, so will the Retail Prices to the Consumer increase, or do they think everyone is earning the exorbitant Salaries they Earn as Part Time Politicians.
@Owen Mc: So if we just keep going prices wont go up? :)
Over 80,000 still without power,but it’s bank holidays that we need to be talking about
@sean weir: PBP are a Dublin party, they don’t care about anything west of Lucan.
@sean weir: we can do more than one thing at once…
@damien leen: obviously he can’t
@damien leen: jaysus damien I think your giving our elected politicians a lot of credit there:)
Still along way to go to match there holidays
This is nicely played from the government. Our ESB network continues to prove it’s shoiddyness (I wonder do the even have an R&D department lol). All over our society we are under prepared for the might of the ‘future rhetoric’ we’re bombarded with, lovely speeches like, but no action. no houses, no public transport, healthcare crawling along… whats the classic?…. 10 euros and a bank holiday… it’ll work too.
For every Bank Holiday, there should be a 4% cut in dole and public worker wages…(same thing in a lot of cases, I know…)
@Paul: What about workers and Social Welfare recipients when they have to bail you out, again, clown
Why is July never considered with these proposals? Bank Holiday weekend coming up this weekend in the depths of winter, waste of time.
@Mark Murphy: Absolutely.
@Mark Murphy: Agreed, a waste of a day. Brought in to appease the hard core feminists. It should have been the first Monday in July to make our summer more enjoyable
That would be welcomed,we will be dead long enough.
They just getting us used to the fact that AI will eventually take most of our jobs and we’ll all be avid Jeremy Kyle watchers.
@Dere: Jeremy Kyle hasn’t been on TV in ages, seriously get with the times…
@Maire Hicks: A lot of people wouldn’t know that because they’re in work!
@Tezmond McVicar: And don’t read nor comprehend news, current affairs and popular culture articles.
Nice bit I think as a country we have more important things to worry about! Like the cost of a wall or fence, the children’s Hospital, the homeless and so much more
Sorry, I note that the article states bank holidays and not public holidays. There are 11 bank holidays but public holidays are what matters to workers in the private sector, so, if Paul Murphy wants more bank holidays, then he is not speaking for the ordinary workers. Does he know the difference?
@Sunny Sid: paul Murphy doesn’t even know what sex his child is, let alone the difference between public and bank holidays!
@Eric O Shea: not even sure he knows if the child is his
Ireland has 10 public holidays (not 11) and, Irish labour law allows for 20 days holidays for full time employees and pro rata for part time employees. Where is the 11 public holidays and 20 day minimum holiday entitlement coming from?
Why don’t the politicians give a paid year holiday for everyone instead of looking for more holidays. Also I thought they were looking for a 4 day working week??
Country full of lazy bas××××s!
Or how about retail premises shut on bank Holiday mondays and give staff the day off.
Civil servants are always on holidays
FFS.
have your say