pbs--2020-01-16--WATCH: Trump boosts school prayer, faith groups

In a bid to solidify his evangelical base , President Donald Trump took steps Thursday to give religious organizations easier access to federal programs and he reaffirmed students ’ rights to pray in public schools .
Under orders from Trump , nine Cabinet departments proposed rules intended to remove “ regulatory burdens ” on religious organizations participating in federal programs by eliminating a requirement that they refer people to alternative providers upon request .
Much of that follows through on an executive order Trump from 2018 that aims to put religious groups on equal footing when competing for federal grants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the Education Department issued its first updated guidance on school prayer since 2003 .
While Trump promised “ big action ” this month , the new guidance appears to make few major changes .
The expansion of faith-based groups ’ ability to participate in government programs is a significant show of support for an evangelical constituency long a vital part of Trump ’ s base and it follows a Christian magazine ’ s call for his removal from office .
Trump planned to announce the guidance on school prayer at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directive orders states to verify that school districts have no policies limiting constitutionally protected prayer and to refer violators to the Education Department .
That ’ s much like the 2003 guidance , but the directive goes further in requiring states to provide ways for making complaints against schools .
Students can pray on their own or together during lunch or other free times , for example , and student speakers can pray at assemblies or sports games as long as they weren ’ t chosen to speak based on their religious perspectives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our actions today will protect the constitutional rights of students , teachers , and faith-based institutions , ” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement .
Hours before Trump ’ s event , federal agencies announced moves to bolster faith-based organizations .
For example , a proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services would eliminate a requirement that religious-based social service organizations inform clients that they can also receive services from groups without connection to a particular religion .
Civil rights advocates said the administration risked empowering discriminatory behavior in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations “ will make it more difficult to access critical social services , just because someone is LGBTQ or a different faith , ” the American Civil Liberties Union tweeted .
“ It ’ s 2020 and religious freedom is STILL not a license to harm others.
” But Johnnie Moore , a member of Trump ’ s evangelical advisory board , lauded the moves as a fresh sign of Trump ’ s commitment to religious freedom .
“ The White House isn ’ t saying whether one should pray or to whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Moore said by email .
He added that “ they are simply making it clear that in the United States students have First Amendment rights also , and our ` separation of church and state ’ wasn ’ t intended to suppress a vibrant religious life in America but to facilitate it.
” About 8 in 10 self-identified white evangelical Protestants approved of Trump ’ s performance , according to AP-NORC polling last month .
But the president has nonetheless moved to shore up his already strong connection to this bloc since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for his removal from office .
By returning attention to school prayer , Trump could revive a debate that had largely fallen to the periphery of national politics in recent years .
Calls for stronger school prayer protections reached a crescendo in the 1980s and 1990s , with champions including President Ronald Reagan .
Public schools have been barred from leading students in classroom prayer since 1962 , when the Supreme Court said it violated a First Amendment clause forbidding the establishment of a government religion .
Later decisions extended the ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain circumstances , school athletic games .
Civil liberties groups say the firewall protects religious minorities and ensures fair treatment of all faiths .
But many on the Christian right say courts and schools have pushed too far against the right to free religious expression .
Also Thursday , the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a memo that agencies must work to bring grant-making by entities that receive federal money , as well as their own grant-making , in line with the Supreme Court ’ s interpretation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive order created the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative , a successor to previous White House faith-based initiatives .
Leading the effort now is longtime Trump faith adviser and pastor Paula White .
Her appointment in November drew opposition from religious progressives who object to White ’ s association with the “ prosperity gospel , ” an assertion that God rewards believers with personal and financial success .
One prominent secular group , the nonprofit Freedom from Religion Foundation , views the federal regulations for faith-based groups as “ a very bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said by email .
Gaylor said most of the proposals “ appear to cover no real new ground , ” but added , “ How he portrays the rules may be very different from the reality.
” She spoke of a “ missed opportunity ” by the administration to provide “ guidance about not crossing the line ” to schools and teachers on requiring students to engage in activities with a religious component , regardless of potential personal objections .
Binkley reported from Boston and Schor from New York .

In a bid to solidify his evangelical base, President Donald Trump took steps Thursday to give religious organizations easier access to federal programs and he reaffirmed students’ rights to pray in public schools.
Under orders from Trump, nine Cabinet departments proposed rules intended to remove “regulatory burdens” on religious organizations participating in federal programs by eliminating a requirement that they refer people to alternative providers upon request. Much of that follows through on an executive order Trump from 2018 that aims to put religious groups on equal footing when competing for federal grants and other funding.
At the same time, the Education Department issued its first updated guidance on school prayer since 2003. While Trump promised “big action” this month, the new guidance appears to make few major changes.
Civil rights advocates said the administration risked empowering discriminatory behavior in the name of religious freedom.
The expansion of faith-based groups’ ability to participate in government programs is a significant show of support for an evangelical constituency long a vital part of Trump’s base and it follows a Christian magazine’s call for his removal from office.
Trump planned to announce the guidance on school prayer at a White House event later Thursday. A directive orders states to verify that school districts have no policies limiting constitutionally protected prayer and to refer violators to the Education Department. That’s much like the 2003 guidance, but the directive goes further in requiring states to provide ways for making complaints against schools.
Students can pray on their own or together during lunch or other free times, for example, and student speakers can pray at assemblies or sports games as long as they weren’t chosen to speak based on their religious perspectives, according to the guidance.
“Our actions today will protect the constitutional rights of students, teachers, and faith-based institutions,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement.
Hours before Trump’s event, federal agencies announced moves to bolster faith-based organizations. For example, a proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services would eliminate a requirement that religious-based social service organizations inform clients that they can also receive services from groups without connection to a particular religion.
Civil rights advocates said the administration risked empowering discriminatory behavior in the name of religious freedom.
The regulations “will make it more difficult to access critical social services, just because someone is LGBTQ or a different faith,” the American Civil Liberties Union tweeted. “It’s 2020 and religious freedom is STILL not a license to harm others.”
But Johnnie Moore, a member of Trump’s evangelical advisory board, lauded the moves as a fresh sign of Trump’s commitment to religious freedom.
“The White House isn’t saying whether one should pray or to whom or what they should pray to,” Moore said by email. He added that “they are simply making it clear that in the United States students have First Amendment rights also, and our `separation of church and state’ wasn’t intended to suppress a vibrant religious life in America but to facilitate it.”
About 8 in 10 self-identified white evangelical Protestants approved of Trump’s performance, according to AP-NORC polling last month. But the president has nonetheless moved to shore up his already strong connection to this bloc since an editorial in the magazine Christianity Today called for his removal from office.
By returning attention to school prayer, Trump could revive a debate that had largely fallen to the periphery of national politics in recent years. Calls for stronger school prayer protections reached a crescendo in the 1980s and 1990s, with champions including President Ronald Reagan.
Public schools have been barred from leading students in classroom prayer since 1962, when the Supreme Court said it violated a First Amendment clause forbidding the establishment of a government religion. Later decisions extended the ban to school graduation ceremonies and, under certain circumstances, school athletic games.
Civil liberties groups say the firewall protects religious minorities and ensures fair treatment of all faiths. But many on the Christian right say courts and schools have pushed too far against the right to free religious expression.
Also Thursday, the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a memo that agencies must work to bring grant-making by entities that receive federal money, as well as their own grant-making, in line with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment.
Trump’s 2018 executive order created the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, a successor to previous White House faith-based initiatives. Leading the effort now is longtime Trump faith adviser and pastor Paula White. Her appointment in November drew opposition from religious progressives who object to White’s association with the “prosperity gospel,” an assertion that God rewards believers with personal and financial success.
One prominent secular group, the nonprofit Freedom from Religion Foundation, views the federal regulations for faith-based groups as “a very bad move,” co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor said by email. Gaylor said most of the proposals “appear to cover no real new ground,” but added, “How he portrays the rules may be very different from the reality.”
She spoke of a “missed opportunity” by the administration to provide “guidance about not crossing the line” to schools and teachers on requiring students to engage in activities with a religious component, regardless of potential personal objections.
Binkley reported from Boston and Schor from New York.


pbs--2020-01-16--See all the new impeachment evidence relating to Lev Parnas

House Democrats released a host of documents late Wednesday relating to Lev Parnas , a business associate of President Donald @ @ @ @ @ Rudy Giuliani who was indicted last year on charges of conspiracy , making false statements @ @ @ @ @ The documents , which include handwritten notes , voicemails , calendar entries , photos and @ @ @ @ @ more evidence that could be used during Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
Messages exchanged @ @ @ @ @ the men were attempting to oust U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch .
The information @ @ @ @ @ the impeachment trial officially began with the delivery of the articles of impeachment and the @ @ @ @ @ .
In the coming weeks , the seven House Democrats who House Speaker Nancy Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ out the case against Trump , and the White House will mount its own defense @ @ @ @ @ , Sessions envelope to Trump , screenshots , and ProtonMail to Giuliani

House Democrats released a host of documents late Wednesday relating to Lev Parnas, a business associate of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani who was indicted last year on charges of conspiracy, making false statements and falsification of records.
The documents, which include handwritten notes, voicemails, calendar entries, photos and text messages, provide lawmakers more evidence that could be used during Trump’s impeachment trial.
Messages exchanged between Giuliani and Parnas indicates the men were attempting to oust U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
The information was released the day before the impeachment trial officially began with the delivery of the articles of impeachment and the swearing in of the senators.
In the coming weeks, the seven House Democrats who House Speaker Nancy Pelosi selected as managers will lay out the case against Trump, and the White House will mount its own defense.
Read the documents below
See the documents here.
Additional documents
Listen to voicemails


pbs--2020-01-16--Man charged in Hanukkah attack pleads not guilty

NEW CITY , N.Y. ( AP ) — The man charged in an attack at a suburban New York Hanukkah celebration that left five people wounded , one critically , pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges on Thursday .
Grafton Thomas appeared in Rockland County Court .
On Monday , he also pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges .
Thomas was arrested hours after five people were stabbed at an attack at a rabbi ’ s home in Monsey , an Orthodox Jewish community north of New York City .
His lawyer , Michael Sussman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness and is not responsible for his actions .
Prosecutor Dominic Crispino said in court on Thursday that Sussman should resign from the case because he videotaped evidence being taken out of Thomas ’ cabin and therefore became a witness , the Journal News reported .
Sussman said he would not be resigning .
Judge Kevin Russo said he would rule on the matter when the prosecutor puts his request in writing .
Sussman also said he wants to visit Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg ’ s property in Monsey , where the attack occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a sense of what Thomas was experiencing at the scene .
Crispino argued against that ; the judge said he would consider the request .
Sussman said he has no explanation as to why Thomas went to Rottenberg ’ s home and no indication that Thomas knew anyone in the congregation .
One of the victims , 72-year-old Josef Neumann , remains in a coma with a fractured skull and other injuries .

NEW CITY, N.Y. (AP) — The man charged in an attack at a suburban New York Hanukkah celebration that left five people wounded, one critically, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges on Thursday.
Grafton Thomas appeared in Rockland County Court. On Monday, he also pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges. Thomas was arrested hours after five people were stabbed at an attack at a rabbi’s home in Monsey, an Orthodox Jewish community north of New York City.
His lawyer, Michael Sussman, has said Thomas suffers from mental illness and is not responsible for his actions.
Prosecutor Dominic Crispino said in court on Thursday that Sussman should resign from the case because he videotaped evidence being taken out of Thomas’ cabin and therefore became a witness, the Journal News reported.
Sussman said he would not be resigning. Judge Kevin Russo said he would rule on the matter when the prosecutor puts his request in writing.
Sussman also said he wants to visit Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg’s property in Monsey, where the attack occurred on Dec. 28, so he can get a sense of what Thomas was experiencing at the scene. Crispino argued against that; the judge said he would consider the request.
Sussman said he has no explanation as to why Thomas went to Rottenberg’s home and no indication that Thomas knew anyone in the congregation.
One of the victims, 72-year-old Josef Neumann, remains in a coma with a fractured skull and other injuries.


pbs--2020-01-16--Rep. Liz Cheney to stay in House, decline Senate run

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Rep. Liz Cheney , a junior but rising GOP leader in the House , is opting to stay on that chamber ’ s leadership track rather than run for a Senate seat in her home state of Wyoming .
The move keeps the combative second-term lawmaker positioned to advance in the House GOP hierarchy .
Cheney told her colleagues at a closed-door meeting Thursday that she ’ s staying put .
Cheney was a senior State Department official during the administration of President George W. Bush and is the daughter of former Vice President Dick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House seat that she now holds .
“ I believe I can have the biggest impact for the people of Wyoming by remaining in leadership in the House of Representatives and working ( to ) take our Republican majority back , ” Liz Cheney said in a statement .
“ I will not be running for the Senate in 2020 .
I plan to seek reelection to the House of Representatives.
” Cheney received a “ huge standing ovation “ from her colleagues when she revealed her decision , said Rep. Kay Granger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 13 women in a Republican conference dominated by older white men .
She is No .
3 in the current GOP hierarchy and seems likely to rise higher in time .
Cheney is also a pugnacious critic of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , the only woman to serve as speaker .
“ Nancy Pelosi and the Socialist Democrats in the House of Representatives are threatening our freedom and our Wyoming values every day .
They must be stopped , ” Cheney said .
“ Our nation is facing grave security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working to weaken our president and embolden our enemies .
Socialists in Congress and among the presidential candidates are threatening our liberty and freedom.
” Cheney ’ s decision averts a high-profile primary campaign against former GOP Rep. Cynthia Lummis , who has been in the race for months and has a long history of electoral success in the heavily Republican state .
Cheney similarly passed on a campaign to oust popular Republican Sen. Mike Enzi six years ago .
Inside the House , Cheney ’ s decision sets up a potential leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Steve Scalise , who was gravely wounded in a mass shooting in 2017 .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Liz Cheney, a junior but rising GOP leader in the House, is opting to stay on that chamber’s leadership track rather than run for a Senate seat in her home state of Wyoming.
The move keeps the combative second-term lawmaker positioned to advance in the House GOP hierarchy.
Cheney told her colleagues at a closed-door meeting Thursday that she’s staying put. Cheney was a senior State Department official during the administration of President George W. Bush and is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, who once occupied the statewide House seat that she now holds.
Cheney is just one of 13 women in a Republican conference dominated by older white men.
“I believe I can have the biggest impact for the people of Wyoming by remaining in leadership in the House of Representatives and working (to) take our Republican majority back,” Liz Cheney said in a statement. “I will not be running for the Senate in 2020. I plan to seek reelection to the House of Representatives.”
Cheney received a “huge standing ovation“ from her colleagues when she revealed her decision, said Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas.
Cheney is just one of 13 women in a Republican conference dominated by older white men. She is No. 3 in the current GOP hierarchy and seems likely to rise higher in time.
Cheney is also a pugnacious critic of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the only woman to serve as speaker.
“Nancy Pelosi and the Socialist Democrats in the House of Representatives are threatening our freedom and our Wyoming values every day. They must be stopped,” Cheney said. “Our nation is facing grave security challenges overseas and the House Democrats are working to weaken our president and embolden our enemies. Socialists in Congress and among the presidential candidates are threatening our liberty and freedom.”
Cheney’s decision averts a high-profile primary campaign against former GOP Rep. Cynthia Lummis, who has been in the race for months and has a long history of electoral success in the heavily Republican state. Cheney similarly passed on a campaign to oust popular Republican Sen. Mike Enzi six years ago.
Inside the House, Cheney’s decision sets up a potential leadership fight with the second-ranking leader, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, who was gravely wounded in a mass shooting in 2017.


pbs--2020-01-16--WATCH: Senate opens to hear articles of impeachment against Trump

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in Thursday to preside over President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , then immediately administered the oath to the full Senate to ensure “ impartial justice ” as jurors for only the third such proceeding in American .
history .
Roberts made the short trip across the street from the Supreme Court before being ushered to the Senate chamber .
“ Will all senators now stand , and remain standing , and raise their right hand , ” Roberts said .
“ Do you solemnly swear that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impeachment of Donald John Trump , president of the United States , now pending , you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws , so help you God ?
” The senators , at their desks , responded and then were called up to sign the oath book The Constitution mandates the chief justice serve as the presiding officer .
Roberts , who has long insisted judges are not politicians , is expected to serve as a referee for the proceedings rather than an active participant .
Senators will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Inhofe was absent , home in Oklahoma for a family medical issue , his office said .
He plans to return when the full trial begins next week .
The Senate opened the impeachment trial at the start of the election year as Trump seeks another term , a test not only of his presidency but also of the nation ’ s three branches of power and its system of checks and balances .
Several senators are running for the Democratic Party ’ s nomination to challenge Trump in November .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stood before the Senate and formally read the articles of impeachment against Trump .
“ Hear ye , hear ye , hear ye !
” said the Senate ’ s sergeant at arms , calling the proceedings to order at noon .
Senators filled the chamber , sitting silently at their seats under strict trial rules that prohibit talking or cellphones , as the ceremonial protocol shifted the proceedings out of Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate .
Seven lawmakers prosecuting the charges , led by Rep. Adam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jerrold Nadler of the Judiciary Committee , made the solemn walk across the Capitol for a second day .
“ With the permission of the Senate , I will now read the articles of impeachment , ” said Schiff , standing at a lectern in the well of the chamber , a space usually reserved for senators .
All eyes were on him .
“ House Resolution 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump , president of the united States , for high crimes and misdemeanors , ” he began , reading the nine pages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a row to his side .
Trump faces a charge that he abused his presidential power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden , using military aid to the country as leverage .
Trump was also charged with obstructing Congress ’ ensuing probe.Ahead of the proceedings the Government Accountability office said Thursday that the White House violated federal law in withholding the security assistance to Ukraine , which shares a border with hostile Russia .
The president calls the impeachment a “ hoax , ” even as new information emerges about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the charges against him .
Pelosi said new allegations from an indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , Lev Parnas , only reinforces the need for the Senate to consider further testimony about the president ’ s actions toward Ukraine .
Pelosi noted that typically a special prosecutor would investigate but she doubted that would happen .
“ This is an example of all of the president ’ s henchmen , ” Pelosi said , “ and I hope that the senators do not become part of the president ’ s henchmen.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chamber Thursday decrying Pelosi ’ s decision to hand out “ souvenir pens ” after she signed the resolution to transmit the charges to the Senate .
“ This final display neatly distilled the House ’ s entire partisan process into one perfect visual , ” McConnell said .
“ ’ It was a transparently partisan process from beginning to end.
” Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer renewed his party ’ s request that the trial include new witnesses and documents not available for the House impeachment proceedings .
“ What is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afraid of ?
’ ’ Schumer said .
“ The gravity of these charges is self-evident , ” he said .
“ The House of Representatives have accused the president of trying to shake down a foreign leader for personal gain.
” The president has suggested recently that he would be open to a quick vote to simply dismiss the charges , but sufficient Republican support is lacking for that .
Still , an eventual vote to acquit Trump is considered highly likely .
On Wednesday , in a dramatic procession across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges to the Senate .
“ Today we will make history , ” Pelosi said as she signed the documents , using multiple pens to hand out and mark the moment .
“ This president will be held accountable.
” Moments later the prosecutors walked solemnly through the stately hall , filing into the Senate back row as the clerk of the House announced the arrival : “ The House has passed House Resolution 798 , a resolution appointing and authorizing managers of the impeachment trial of Donald John Trump , president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin next Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday .
Earlier Wednesday , the House voted 228-193 , almost entirely along party lines , ending a weeks-long delay to deliver the charges with a tally reflecting the nation ’ s split .
The top Republican in the House , Kevin McCarthy of California , said Americans will look back on this “ sad saga ” that tried to remove the president from office with the “ weakest case.
” The president ’ s team expects acquittal with a Senate trial lasting no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior administration officials .
That would be far shorter than the trial of President Bill Clinton , in 1999 , or the first one , of President Andrew Johnson , in 1868 .
Both were acquitted .
The seven-member prosecution team is led by the chairmen of the House impeachment proceedings , Reps. Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and Jerrold Nadler of the Judiciary Committee , two of Pelosi ’ s top lieutenants .
On Wednesday , Schiff released new records from Lev Parnas , an associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exchange with another man about surveilling later-fired U.S .
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch .
Schiff said the new evidence should bring more pressure on McConnell , who is reluctant to allow witnesses to testify and prefers swift acquittal .
The White House has instructed officials not to comply with House subpoenas for testimony and documents .
“ The challenge is to get a fair trial , ” Schiff said in an interview with The Associated Press .
“ It shouldn ’ t be a challenge — if the senators are really going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impartial , they ’ ll want a fair trial .
That ’ s obviously not where Mitch McConnell is coming from.
” The managers are a diverse group with legal , law enforcement and military experience , including Hakeem Jeffries of New York , Sylvia Garcia of Texas , Val Demings of Florida , Jason Crow of Colorado and Zoe Lofgren of California .
Two are freshman lawmakers — Crow a former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan , Garcia a former judge in Houston .
Demings is the former police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer and member of party leadership .
Lofgren has the rare credential of having worked on the congressional staff investigation of President Richard Nixon ’ s impeachment — he resigned before the full House voted on the charges — and then being an elected lawmaker during Clinton ’ s .
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is leading an effort among some Republicans , including Mitt Romney of Utah , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee , to consider Senate witnesses .
She told reporters she was satisfied the rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he wants to hear from John Bolton , the former national security adviser at the White House , who others have said raised alarms about the alternative foreign policy toward Ukraine being run by Giuliani .
Any four senators could force an outcome .
Republicans control the chamber , 53-47 , but it takes just 51 votes during the trial to approve rules or call witnesses .
It also would take only 51 senators to vote to dismiss the charges against Trump .
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller , Alan Fram , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clare Jalonick , Laurie Kellman , and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in Thursday to preside over President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, then immediately administered the oath to the full Senate to ensure “impartial justice” as jurors for only the third such proceeding in American. history.
Roberts made the short trip across the street from the Supreme Court before being ushered to the Senate chamber.
“Will all senators now stand, and remain standing, and raise their right hand,” Roberts said.
“Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you God?”
The senators, at their desks, responded and then were called up to sign the oath book
The Constitution mandates the chief justice serve as the presiding officer. Roberts, who has long insisted judges are not politicians, is expected to serve as a referee for the proceedings rather than an active participant. Senators will ultimately render the verdict.
GOP Sen. James Inhofe was absent, home in Oklahoma for a family medical issue, his office said. He plans to return when the full trial begins next week.
The Senate opened the impeachment trial at the start of the election year as Trump seeks another term, a test not only of his presidency but also of the nation’s three branches of power and its system of checks and balances. Several senators are running for the Democratic Party’s nomination to challenge Trump in November.
Earlier Thursday, House Democrats prosecuting the case stood before the Senate and formally read the articles of impeachment against Trump.
“Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye!” said the Senate’s sergeant at arms, calling the proceedings to order at noon.
Senators filled the chamber, sitting silently at their seats under strict trial rules that prohibit talking or cellphones, as the ceremonial protocol shifted the proceedings out of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate.
Seven lawmakers prosecuting the charges, led by Rep. Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, made the solemn walk across the Capitol for a second day.
“With the permission of the Senate, I will now read the articles of impeachment,” said Schiff, standing at a lectern in the well of the chamber, a space usually reserved for senators.
All eyes were on him.
“House Resolution 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, president of the united States, for high crimes and misdemeanors,” he began, reading the nine pages.
The other House prosecutors stood in a row to his side.
Trump faces a charge that he abused his presidential power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, using military aid to the country as leverage. Trump was also charged with obstructing Congress’ ensuing probe.Ahead of the proceedings the Government Accountability office said Thursday that the White House violated federal law in withholding the security assistance to Ukraine, which shares a border with hostile Russia.
The president calls the impeachment a “hoax,” even as new information emerges about his actions toward Ukraine that led to the charges against him.
Pelosi said new allegations from an indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas, only reinforces the need for the Senate to consider further testimony about the president’s actions toward Ukraine.
Pelosi noted that typically a special prosecutor would investigate but she doubted that would happen.
“This is an example of all of the president’s henchmen,” Pelosi said, “and I hope that the senators do not become part of the president’s henchmen.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opened the chamber Thursday decrying Pelosi’s decision to hand out “souvenir pens” after she signed the resolution to transmit the charges to the Senate.
“This final display neatly distilled the House’s entire partisan process into one perfect visual,” McConnell said. “’It was a transparently partisan process from beginning to end.”
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer renewed his party’s request that the trial include new witnesses and documents not available for the House impeachment proceedings.
“What is the president hiding? What is he afraid of?’’ Schumer said.
“The gravity of these charges is self-evident,” he said. “The House of Representatives have accused the president of trying to shake down a foreign leader for personal gain.”
The president has suggested recently that he would be open to a quick vote to simply dismiss the charges, but sufficient Republican support is lacking for that. Still, an eventual vote to acquit Trump is considered highly likely.
On Wednesday, in a dramatic procession across the U.S. Capitol, House Democrats carried the charges to the Senate.
“Today we will make history,” Pelosi said as she signed the documents, using multiple pens to hand out and mark the moment. “This president will be held accountable.”
Moments later the prosecutors walked solemnly through the stately hall, filing into the Senate back row as the clerk of the House announced the arrival: “The House has passed House Resolution 798, a resolution appointing and authorizing managers of the impeachment trial of Donald John Trump, president of United States.”
Opening arguments are to begin next Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Earlier Wednesday, the House voted 228-193, almost entirely along party lines, ending a weeks-long delay to deliver the charges with a tally reflecting the nation’s split.
The top Republican in the House, Kevin McCarthy of California, said Americans will look back on this “sad saga” that tried to remove the president from office with the “weakest case.”
The president’s team expects acquittal with a Senate trial lasting no more than two weeks, according to senior administration officials. That would be far shorter than the trial of President Bill Clinton, in 1999, or the first one, of President Andrew Johnson, in 1868. Both were acquitted.
The seven-member prosecution team is led by the chairmen of the House impeachment proceedings, Reps. Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and Jerrold Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, two of Pelosi’s top lieutenants.
On Wednesday, Schiff released new records from Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, about the Ukraine strategy, including an exchange with another man about surveilling later-fired U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
Schiff said the new evidence should bring more pressure on McConnell, who is reluctant to allow witnesses to testify and prefers swift acquittal. The White House has instructed officials not to comply with House subpoenas for testimony and documents.
“The challenge is to get a fair trial,” Schiff said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It shouldn’t be a challenge — if the senators are really going to live up to their oath to be impartial, they’ll want a fair trial. That’s obviously not where Mitch McConnell is coming from.”
The managers are a diverse group with legal, law enforcement and military experience, including Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Sylvia Garcia of Texas, Val Demings of Florida, Jason Crow of Colorado and Zoe Lofgren of California.
Two are freshman lawmakers — Crow a former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Garcia a former judge in Houston. Demings is the former police chief of Orlando and Jeffries is a lawyer and member of party leadership. Lofgren has the rare credential of having worked on the congressional staff investigation of President Richard Nixon’s impeachment — he resigned before the full House voted on the charges — and then being an elected lawmaker during Clinton’s.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is leading an effort among some Republicans, including Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, to consider Senate witnesses. She told reporters she was satisfied the rules will allow votes on that.
Romney said he wants to hear from John Bolton, the former national security adviser at the White House, who others have said raised alarms about the alternative foreign policy toward Ukraine being run by Giuliani.
Any four senators could force an outcome. Republicans control the chamber, 53-47, but it takes just 51 votes during the trial to approve rules or call witnesses. It also would take only 51 senators to vote to dismiss the charges against Trump.
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Alan Fram, Matthew Daly, Andrew Taylor, Mary Clare Jalonick, Laurie Kellman, and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.


pbs--2020-01-16--WATCH: House prosecutors read Trump impeachment charges to Senate

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Congress opened the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Thursday , with House Democrats reading the formal charges from the well of the U.S. Senate ahead of the swearing in of all 100 senators as jurors for only the third impeachment trial in U.S. history .
“ Hear ye , hear ye , hear ye !
” said the Senate ’ s sergeant at arms , calling the proceedings to order .
Seven lawmakers prosecuting the charges , led by Rep. Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of the Judiciary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Capitol for a second day .
It ’ s the start of ceremonial protocol that shifts the proceedings out of Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate .
Schiff , standing in the well of the Senate usually reserved for senators , began reading the resolution , “ Impeaching Donald John Trump , president of the united states for high crimes and misdemeanors.
” Later in the afternoon , Chief Justice John Roberts was to administer the jurors ’ oath to senators who swear to deliver “ impartial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an election year as Trump seeks another term , will be a test not only of his presidency but also of the nation ’ s three branches of power and its system of checks and balances .
Several senators are running for the Democratic party ’ s nomination to challenge Trump in November .
The president calls the impeachment a “ hoax , ” even as new information emerges about his actions toward Ukraine that led to the charges against him .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress opened the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Thursday, with House Democrats reading the formal charges from the well of the U.S. Senate ahead of the swearing in of all 100 senators as jurors for only the third impeachment trial in U.S. history.
“Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye!” said the Senate’s sergeant at arms, calling the proceedings to order.
Seven lawmakers prosecuting the charges, led by Rep. Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, made the solemn walk across the Capitol for a second day. It’s the start of ceremonial protocol that shifts the proceedings out of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate.
Schiff, standing in the well of the Senate usually reserved for senators, began reading the resolution, “Impeaching Donald John Trump, president of the united states for high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Later in the afternoon, Chief Justice John Roberts was to administer the jurors’ oath to senators who swear to deliver “impartial justice.”
The events, unfolding during an election year as Trump seeks another term, will be a test not only of his presidency but also of the nation’s three branches of power and its system of checks and balances. Several senators are running for the Democratic party’s nomination to challenge Trump in November.
The president calls the impeachment a “hoax,” even as new information emerges about his actions toward Ukraine that led to the charges against him.


pbs--2020-01-16--How Buttigieg's decision on police chief shadows his presidential run

SOUTH BEND , Ind .
( AP ) — Karen DePaepe had been waiting all day for a call back from Pete Buttigieg .
It was March 2012 , and the 30-year-old mayor of South Bend , Indiana , had just decided to replace the city ’ s first African American police chief over complaints that he illegally wiretapped police officers ’ phone calls .
DePaepe , who oversaw the department ’ s phone system , had called the mayor to try to talk him out of removing the popular chief .
She wanted to tell him the situation was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who discovered a mistakenly recorded phone line , and , she says , heard white police officers making racist comments .
She said in an interview with The Associated Press that she reported what she heard to the chief , and the recording continued .
Buttigieg — who ’ s now competing for the Democratic nomination for president — never called her back .
When DePaepe ’ s phone finally rang , she says , it was the young mayor ’ s chief of staff , who told her she , too , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told her , had suggested that she and the chief could be indicted if they weren ’ t removed .
DePaepe hung up , crying and in disbelief .
She called one of the prosecutors , who she says told her she was not in trouble and should not quit .
“ Who do I believe ?
I ’ m being told two different stories , ” DePaepe recalled thinking , adding , “ Someone is lying to me.
” Buttigieg ’ s demotion of Chief Darryl Boykins and firing of DePaepe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise to complaints he has a blind spot on race and raising questions about whether he can attract the support of African Americans who are crucial to earning the Democratic nomination .
It ’ s also reinforcing skepticism that the 37-year-old former mayor has the wisdom or experience to handle the demands of the Oval Office .
Black Lives Matter activists have been protesting at his campaign events in recent days , spurred in part by his handling of the case .
Buttigieg has defended his actions , saying he was responding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal prosecutors .
In his telling , he saved two people from criminal charges and took the political heat for getting rid of a well-liked chief .
But interviews with more than 20 people with direct or indirect knowledge of the events , along with a review of documents and contemporaneous news reports , paint a more complicated picture that is not as flattering to Buttigieg .
While some said they believed the young mayor was trying to do the right thing , others told the AP that his lack of experience led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t well thought out , and that his explanations don ’ t ring true .
His subsequent failure to include African American people in positions of power further damaged his standing in the community .
“ It left a really , really bad taste in my mouth , ” said Pastor Wendy Fultz , who is black and a leader of the local chapter of the activist group Faith In Indiana .
The story begins before Buttigieg was elected .
The South Bend Police Department had a long-standing practice of recording certain telephone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 911 calls and the phone lines of most division chiefs .
In 2010 , some of those phone lines were switched , and a detective ’ s line began being mistakenly recorded , according to a federal investigation .
DePaepe said she learned of the mix-up in February 2011 .
She was troubleshooting a problem when she says she heard what she describes as racist comments by officers and discussion about something she considered possibly illegal .
She reported it to the chief weeks later .
He was shocked , she recalled , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do anything , and the recording continued .
Just before Christmas , the chief asked her to make tapes of what she heard .
Boykins , who did not respond to messages seeking comment , listened to at least one tape and made copies of some of them .
He confronted an officer about his “ loyalty , ” then told him he would take the tapes to the mayor , according to a November 2012 FBI report on the case obtained by the AP through a Freedom of Information request .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Indiana found Boykins ’ motivation for continuing the recordings was to gather evidence of disloyalty , rather than to expose racism .
However , the prosecutor declined to bring charges .
MORE : What does Pete Buttigieg believe ?
Where the candidate stands on 7 issues Shortly after Buttigieg was sworn in , multiple officers complained to the U.S. attorney ’ s office in northern Indiana , alleging that their phone calls were being illegally recorded and that Boykins had threatened to use the information to fire or demote them , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The FBI launched an investigation of possible violations of the federal Wiretap Act .
The tapes have never been released , despite repeated calls from the community .
Buttigieg says he hasn ’ t heard them , and DePaepe won ’ t discuss details of what she heard , citing a settlement that bars her from doing so .
The South Bend Common Council — the community ’ s city council — sued to release the tapes , and the lawsuit is pending .
The next hearing is Jan. 22 .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the calls were recorded legally .
Boykins and DePaepe , who is white , denied wrongdoing , and no one was charged .
A lawyer for several officers who sued the city says the tapes were made illegally and were an invasion of privacy .
He says his clients made no racist comments , and some had their jobs threatened by the chief .
But Buttigieg , within months of becoming mayor , was faced with the dual challenge of a federal investigation into the police department and officers accused of racism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2012 .
In his memoir , he writes that he believed there were problems with the management of the police department and that cleaning it up would be a major task .
Still , he reappointed the chief , who had the support of both the Fraternal Order of Police and the NAACP , and was known for his work with youth and in city neighborhoods .
“ He is liked and respected for very good reasons .
And I have a lot of respect for him , ” Buttigieg told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep him on , Buttigieg wrote in his memoir , became his “ first serious mistake as mayor.
” Weeks after Buttigieg took office , three officers complained to his chief of staff , Mike Schmuhl , that Boykins was recording and listening to their phone conversations , according to a 2013 deposition of Schmuhl obtained by the AP through a public records request and first reported by the website The Young Turks .
Schmuhl relayed the information to Buttigieg .
A few days later , then-U.S. Attorney David Capp called Schmuhl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , Schmuhl said in his sworn testimony .
Soon after , Schmuhl told Buttigieg about the investigation , campaign spokesman Sean Savett said .
But what Schmuhl told him didn ’ t seem to make an impression .
“ I remember there were rumors going around about the internal politics inside the police department , and it might have had something to do with people recording each other , but not a way that I really understood and pieced together until that meeting with the prosecutors , ” Buttigieg told the AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Capp ’ s request , South Bend officials met with federal law enforcement .
Buttigieg sent Schmuhl , a high school friend who is now managing his presidential campaign , along with acting city attorney Aladean DeRose and Rich Hill , an outside lawyer Buttigieg hired for advice .
Capp brought then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Schmid , two other federal prosecutors and an FBI agent .
What happened at that meeting is hotly contested .
It ’ s also the key to much of the acrimony that arose in the days and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions about Buttigieg ’ s management style and his forthrightness .
Three days after that meeting , according to a lawsuit Boykins later filed alleging racial discrimination and defamation , Schmuhl met with the police chief to pressure him to resign , which he did three days later .
The response was explosive : Angry members of the Common Council joined the next day with community leaders for a meeting attended by more than 100 people to demand Boykins ’ reinstatement .
The mayor refused .
Local news reported over the following days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making racist comments .
More than a week later , on April 10 , she , too , was fired .
Buttigieg ’ s memoir glosses over that timeline , omitting the fact that he fired DePaepe well after racism allegations were reported .
The mayor initially refrained from publicly justifying his decisions , but as rumors swirled across South Bend , he began to explain .
He told the South Bend Tribune that “ charges were not filed because we acted to satisfy federal authorities.
” “ It was still the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting into deeper trouble , even if they were going to hate me for it , ” he told the newspaper .
He repeated that explanation in his memoir , published in 2019 , and went on to question the U.S. attorney ’ s motives .
“ Why should a U.S. attorney shoulder the responsibility of taking down a beloved African-American police chief , if he can get the mayor to do it for him by removing him from his position ?
” he wrote .
In an interview with the AP , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lawyers in the meeting , backed up Buttigieg ’ s account .
He said federal officials explicitly told them the city needed to take “ personnel action.
” “ The U.S. attorney said , you have problems with two people and … if you address the issues with those two people satisfactorily , then there would not be prosecution , ” Hill said .
Leaving the meeting , Hill said they all had the same understanding .
“ There was no difference in interpretation .
There was no discussion about what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We were all three equally clear of what the message was that we needed to deliver to the mayor.
” Schmuhl , through the Buttigieg campaign , declined interview requests but agreed to answer written questions .
He said that it was clear the city needed to act to ensure the police department complied with the law and that “ the people whose actions prompted a federal investigation into the police department could not remain in their positions.
” In his 2013 deposition , Schmuhl said authorities gave them 60 days to address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the deposition that during the 30-minute meeting , the U.S. attorney never overtly said anyone had to be fired .
Several people involved in the case have cast doubt on Buttigieg ’ s story .
“ I don ’ t feel he ’ s being accurate at all , ” DePaepe told the AP .
“ When I listen to him speak , and somebody asks him a question , he sort of talks in circles.
” DePaepe said she spoke three times with Schmid , the prosecutor who handled the investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said she asked him whether she was in trouble and needed a lawyer .
“ He said , ‘ No , you ’ re a witness to a complaint , ’ ” she told the AP .
After Schmuhl told her she and Boykins could be indicted , she said she called Schmid and he told her she should not quit her job .
Boykins ’ lawyer , Tom Dixon , told the AP that three of the federal prosecutors who were in the March 23 meeting assured him that , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not involve itself in personnel decisions of local government .
Dixon recalled they told him : “ We just want to reiterate that we never get involved , regardless of what you hear on the news.
” On May 31 , 2012 , Capp wrote in a letter to the city that during the March meeting , “ We advised that our primary concern was that ( South Bend Police Department ) practices comply with federal law.
” After reviewing the situation in South Bend , he concluded , “ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warranted.
” Buttigieg has pointed to the letter as proof that he made the right decision , but others have said the letter shows investigators were not planning to charge Boykins or DePaepe to begin with .
The U.S. attorney ’ s office and current and former federal officials who attended the March 23 meeting either did not comment or did not respond to messages seeking comment .
Former federal law enforcement officials who reviewed details of the case at the request of the AP agreed it would be unlikely for a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal charges in a public corruption case if a mayor fired or demoted staff .
Brian Kelly , who specialized in public corruption as a federal prosecutor , said Buttigieg inherited a “ fiasco involving inappropriate taping ” but said any personnel decisions he made were his own .
“ It ’ s not surprising that a local mayor would try to deflect blame to the U.S. attorney ’ s office for a decision that was unpopular , ” he said .
“ But ultimately , the U.S. attorney ’ s office would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and firing of people.
” Buttigieg , in an interview with the AP , stood by his story .
“ It ’ s just what happened.
” Boykins , he insisted , had to go because he “ failed to tell me that he was under federal investigation.
” DePaepe had to go , he said , “ because her actions led to a federal felony investigation into the police department.
” But even that is disputed .
Boykins ’ lawyer said investigators told Boykins he was not under investigation .
Buttigieg said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from prosecutors in writing “ so that years later , there wouldn ’ t be a need to defend my account of what I believe happened , but that we would have a document that we could point to that was clear.
” But Buttigieg also acted without having the city do its own investigation .
DePaepe says she was never given the chance to explain what happened .
Boykins told her and others who spoke with the AP he wasn ’ t either .
Janice Hall , then the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP that she was not consulted .
“ I would have wanted to hear the facts ” from DePaepe , Hall said .
“ There was so much secretiveness involved in the whole process.
” That failure had an important side effect .
Buttigieg wrote in his memoir that he didn ’ t know about the purportedly racist comments until after he removed Boykins , allegations he called “ explosive , and serious ” if true .
But his book leaves out DePaepe and fails to address why he went ahead with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after local media reported on the comments on the recordings .
Buttigieg said he didn ’ t think they were in a position to second-guess the FBI , and even if they did their own investigation , “ the main investigative resource we would have had would be the police department , which obviously would not be able to conduct this one.
” Tom Price , a top aide to Buttigieg ’ s predecessor , said , “ It seemed like a quick reaction that wasn ’ t well thought through.
” Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age and ability to manage , questions that are echoed in his presidential run .
It also damaged his relationship with the African American community in South Bend , a rift that has led to doubts about whether he can attract the support of black voters nationwide .
Former Councilman Oliver Davis , a vocal critic of Buttigieg who has endorsed Joe Biden , said people understood he would pick his own chief , but the way he went about it brought disrepute on one of South Bend ’ s most respected African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not that he removed and demoted the chief .
You can change people around all you want to .
But you disgraced him .
You disgraced him for your own political good , ” Davis said .
Boykins was at that time the only African American in a senior position in city government .
The previous mayor had three black men in top-level positions : Boykins , the fire chief and a senior mayoral adviser .
When Buttigieg took over , the adviser left .
The fire chief , Howard Buchanon , retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointee was a white man .
Buchanon told the AP that after the Boykins situation blew up , Buttigieg asked to meet to discuss it .
“ I said , ‘ You led us to believe that a lot of minorities were going to be in your administration , ’ ” Buchanon recalled telling him .
“ But Mayor Pete , I don ’ t see that.
” He recalled asking the mayor where black and Hispanic leaders were in his administration : Buttigieg ’ s head dropped — a tacit acknowledgement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a leader in Faith In Indiana , told the AP : “ We did not see a plan to have minorities involved in decision-making processes .
That , to me , was a big mistake.
” Asked about the criticism , Buttigieg highlighted his 2013 appointment of an African American woman as the city ’ s top lawyer — an appointment made more than a year after Boykins ’ demotion .
Among the steps Buttigieg took to address allegations of racism in the department , his campaign said , were requiring all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bias training , and installing a majority-minority civilian police board .
South Bend ’ s population is 53 % non-Hispanic white , and more than one-quarter black .
But more than three-quarters of the people Buttigieg chose as top advisers or department heads during his eight years in office — including two police chiefs — were white , according to an AP analysis of information provided by the campaign .
Buttigieg ’ s defenders say he knew there would be implications within the black community if he removed Boykins , but he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There was never a good choice , ” said Mark Neal , Buttigieg ’ s first city controller .
“ Like any good leader , you live with the consequences of that.
” Buchanon said if Buttigieg ’ s record in South Bend is any indication of how he ’ d run the White House , “ I don ’ t see any black person in leadership for him.
” “ He had the opportunity to change some things , ” Buchanon said .
“ And he didn ’ t. ” Around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tenure and abilities are as varied as the people who hold them .
Many people say he entered the mayor ’ s office with good intentions but not enough experience — less than three years as a consultant at McKinsey , a position he recently described as mostly doing research and analysis .
He was also an intelligence analyst in the Navy Reserve and in his memoir referred to himself as “ a more junior employee … rather than the boss.
” Hall , the former HR director , said Buttigieg got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Schmuhl , who now runs his campaign .
“ They had not had a lot of experience , ” Hall said .
Davis and others noted Buttigieg got rid of veteran leadership , instead going with what Davis called a “ millennial crowd ” that had “ no muscle memory ” for how things worked .
Price , who supported Buttigieg in the past , said his experience running a city of just 100,000 doesn ’ t make him ready for the White House .
“ I think he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Price said .
“ I think he would be a dreadful mistake for our country , and for the Democratic Party.
” Buttigieg told the AP he has learned from the Boykins affair , which he calls a “ no-win ” situation .
Sometimes , he said , you can ’ t find a perfect answer — only an approach that ’ s going to involve “ the least harm.
” When you ’ re young and encounter a problem , Buttigieg said , people who disagree will say you did it because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were older , they would still disagree , ” Buttigieg said .
“ They just wouldn ’ t say it had to do with being young.
” AP writer Stephen Braun in Washington and researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report .

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Karen DePaepe had been waiting all day for a call back from Pete Buttigieg.
It was March 2012, and the 30-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, had just decided to replace the city’s first African American police chief over complaints that he illegally wiretapped police officers’ phone calls.
DePaepe, who oversaw the department’s phone system, had called the mayor to try to talk him out of removing the popular chief. She wanted to tell him the situation was not that simple. It was DePaepe who discovered a mistakenly recorded phone line, and, she says, heard white police officers making racist comments. She said in an interview with The Associated Press that she reported what she heard to the chief, and the recording continued.
Buttigieg — who’s now competing for the Democratic nomination for president — never called her back. When DePaepe’s phone finally rang, she says, it was the young mayor’s chief of staff, who told her she, too, had to go. Federal prosecutors, he told her, had suggested that she and the chief could be indicted if they weren’t removed.
DePaepe hung up, crying and in disbelief. She called one of the prosecutors, who she says told her she was not in trouble and should not quit.
“Who do I believe? I’m being told two different stories,” DePaepe recalled thinking, adding, “Someone is lying to me.”
Buttigieg’s demotion of Chief Darryl Boykins and firing of DePaepe has shadowed his presidential campaign, giving rise to complaints he has a blind spot on race and raising questions about whether he can attract the support of African Americans who are crucial to earning the Democratic nomination. It’s also reinforcing skepticism that the 37-year-old former mayor has the wisdom or experience to handle the demands of the Oval Office.
Black Lives Matter activists have been protesting at his campaign events in recent days, spurred in part by his handling of the case.
Buttigieg has defended his actions, saying he was responding to a “thinly veiled” message from federal prosecutors. In his telling, he saved two people from criminal charges and took the political heat for getting rid of a well-liked chief.
But interviews with more than 20 people with direct or indirect knowledge of the events, along with a review of documents and contemporaneous news reports, paint a more complicated picture that is not as flattering to Buttigieg. While some said they believed the young mayor was trying to do the right thing, others told the AP that his lack of experience led him to take actions that weren’t well thought out, and that his explanations don’t ring true. His subsequent failure to include African American people in positions of power further damaged his standing in the community.
“It left a really, really bad taste in my mouth,” said Pastor Wendy Fultz, who is black and a leader of the local chapter of the activist group Faith In Indiana.
Recorded calls, alleged racism
The story begins before Buttigieg was elected.
The South Bend Police Department had a long-standing practice of recording certain telephone lines, including front desk lines, 911 calls and the phone lines of most division chiefs. In 2010, some of those phone lines were switched, and a detective’s line began being mistakenly recorded, according to a federal investigation.
DePaepe said she learned of the mix-up in February 2011. She was troubleshooting a problem when she says she heard what she describes as racist comments by officers and discussion about something she considered possibly illegal.
She reported it to the chief weeks later. He was shocked, she recalled, but didn’t immediately tell her to do anything, and the recording continued.
Just before Christmas, the chief asked her to make tapes of what she heard.
Boykins, who did not respond to messages seeking comment, listened to at least one tape and made copies of some of them. He confronted an officer about his “loyalty,” then told him he would take the tapes to the mayor, according to a November 2012 FBI report on the case obtained by the AP through a Freedom of Information request.
A 2015 investigation by a special prosecutor in Indiana found Boykins’ motivation for continuing the recordings was to gather evidence of disloyalty, rather than to expose racism. However, the prosecutor declined to bring charges.
MORE: What does Pete Buttigieg believe? Where the candidate stands on 7 issues
Shortly after Buttigieg was sworn in, multiple officers complained to the U.S. attorney’s office in northern Indiana, alleging that their phone calls were being illegally recorded and that Boykins had threatened to use the information to fire or demote them, according to FBI records obtained by the AP. The FBI launched an investigation of possible violations of the federal Wiretap Act.
The tapes have never been released, despite repeated calls from the community. Buttigieg says he hasn’t heard them, and DePaepe won’t discuss details of what she heard, citing a settlement that bars her from doing so.
The South Bend Common Council — the community’s city council — sued to release the tapes, and the lawsuit is pending. The next hearing is Jan. 22. At the heart of the lawsuit is whether the calls were recorded legally.
Boykins and DePaepe, who is white, denied wrongdoing, and no one was charged.
A lawyer for several officers who sued the city says the tapes were made illegally and were an invasion of privacy. He says his clients made no racist comments, and some had their jobs threatened by the chief.
But Buttigieg, within months of becoming mayor, was faced with the dual challenge of a federal investigation into the police department and officers accused of racism.
The meeting
Buttigieg was sworn in on Jan. 1, 2012.
In his memoir, he writes that he believed there were problems with the management of the police department and that cleaning it up would be a major task. Still, he reappointed the chief, who had the support of both the Fraternal Order of Police and the NAACP, and was known for his work with youth and in city neighborhoods.
“He is liked and respected for very good reasons. And I have a lot of respect for him,” Buttigieg told the AP last month.
But the decision to keep him on, Buttigieg wrote in his memoir, became his “first serious mistake as mayor.”
Weeks after Buttigieg took office, three officers complained to his chief of staff, Mike Schmuhl, that Boykins was recording and listening to their phone conversations, according to a 2013 deposition of Schmuhl obtained by the AP through a public records request and first reported by the website The Young Turks. Schmuhl relayed the information to Buttigieg.
A few days later, then-U.S. Attorney David Capp called Schmuhl to say his office was looking into it, Schmuhl said in his sworn testimony. Soon after, Schmuhl told Buttigieg about the investigation, campaign spokesman Sean Savett said.
But what Schmuhl told him didn’t seem to make an impression.
“I remember there were rumors going around about the internal politics inside the police department, and it might have had something to do with people recording each other, but not a way that I really understood and pieced together until that meeting with the prosecutors,” Buttigieg told the AP.
On March 23, 2012, at Capp’s request, South Bend officials met with federal law enforcement.
Buttigieg sent Schmuhl, a high school friend who is now managing his presidential campaign, along with acting city attorney Aladean DeRose and Rich Hill, an outside lawyer Buttigieg hired for advice.
Capp brought then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Schmid, two other federal prosecutors and an FBI agent.
What happened at that meeting is hotly contested. It’s also the key to much of the acrimony that arose in the days and weeks afterward, and it has raised questions about Buttigieg’s management style and his forthrightness.
Three days after that meeting, according to a lawsuit Boykins later filed alleging racial discrimination and defamation, Schmuhl met with the police chief to pressure him to resign, which he did three days later.
The response was explosive: Angry members of the Common Council joined the next day with community leaders for a meeting attended by more than 100 people to demand Boykins’ reinstatement. The mayor refused.
Local news reported over the following days that DePaepe had found recordings of officers making racist comments. More than a week later, on April 10, she, too, was fired.
Buttigieg’s memoir glosses over that timeline, omitting the fact that he fired DePaepe well after racism allegations were reported.
The mayor initially refrained from publicly justifying his decisions, but as rumors swirled across South Bend, he began to explain. He told the South Bend Tribune that “charges were not filed because we acted to satisfy federal authorities.”
“It was still the right thing to do to prevent them from getting into deeper trouble, even if they were going to hate me for it,” he told the newspaper.
He repeated that explanation in his memoir, published in 2019, and went on to question the U.S. attorney’s motives.
“Why should a U.S. attorney shoulder the responsibility of taking down a beloved African-American police chief, if he can get the mayor to do it for him by removing him from his position?” he wrote.
In an interview with the AP, Hill, one of the city’s lawyers in the meeting, backed up Buttigieg’s account.
He said federal officials explicitly told them the city needed to take “personnel action.”
“The U.S. attorney said, you have problems with two people and … if you address the issues with those two people satisfactorily, then there would not be prosecution,” Hill said.
Leaving the meeting, Hill said they all had the same understanding.
“There was no difference in interpretation. There was no discussion about what we heard,” Hill said. “We were all three equally clear of what the message was that we needed to deliver to the mayor.”
Schmuhl, through the Buttigieg campaign, declined interview requests but agreed to answer written questions. He said that it was clear the city needed to act to ensure the police department complied with the law and that “the people whose actions prompted a federal investigation into the police department could not remain in their positions.” In his 2013 deposition, Schmuhl said authorities gave them 60 days to address those issues.
But he also said in the deposition that during the 30-minute meeting, the U.S. attorney never overtly said anyone had to be fired.
“It’s just what happened”
Several people involved in the case have cast doubt on Buttigieg’s story.
“I don’t feel he’s being accurate at all,” DePaepe told the AP. “When I listen to him speak, and somebody asks him a question, he sort of talks in circles.”
DePaepe said she spoke three times with Schmid, the prosecutor who handled the investigation and who attended the March meeting. She said she asked him whether she was in trouble and needed a lawyer.
“He said, ‘No, you’re a witness to a complaint,’” she told the AP.
After Schmuhl told her she and Boykins could be indicted, she said she called Schmid and he told her she should not quit her job.
Boykins’ lawyer, Tom Dixon, told the AP that three of the federal prosecutors who were in the March 23 meeting assured him that, as a matter of policy, the office does not involve itself in personnel decisions of local government.
Dixon recalled they told him: “We just want to reiterate that we never get involved, regardless of what you hear on the news.”
On May 31, 2012, Capp wrote in a letter to the city that during the March meeting, “We advised that our primary concern was that (South Bend Police Department) practices comply with federal law.”
After reviewing the situation in South Bend, he concluded, “It is our opinion that no federal prosecution is warranted.”
Buttigieg has pointed to the letter as proof that he made the right decision, but others have said the letter shows investigators were not planning to charge Boykins or DePaepe to begin with.
The U.S. attorney’s office and current and former federal officials who attended the March 23 meeting either did not comment or did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Former federal law enforcement officials who reviewed details of the case at the request of the AP agreed it would be unlikely for a U.S. attorney to suggest they would not pursue criminal charges in a public corruption case if a mayor fired or demoted staff.
Brian Kelly, who specialized in public corruption as a federal prosecutor, said Buttigieg inherited a “fiasco involving inappropriate taping” but said any personnel decisions he made were his own.
“It’s not surprising that a local mayor would try to deflect blame to the U.S. attorney’s office for a decision that was unpopular,” he said. “But ultimately, the U.S. attorney’s office would have nothing to do with the hiring and firing of people.”
Buttigieg, in an interview with the AP, stood by his story. “It’s just what happened.”
Boykins, he insisted, had to go because he “failed to tell me that he was under federal investigation.” DePaepe had to go, he said, “because her actions led to a federal felony investigation into the police department.”
But even that is disputed. Boykins’ lawyer said investigators told Boykins he was not under investigation.
Buttigieg said he should have insisted on getting something from prosecutors in writing “so that years later, there wouldn’t be a need to defend my account of what I believe happened, but that we would have a document that we could point to that was clear.”
But Buttigieg also acted without having the city do its own investigation.
DePaepe says she was never given the chance to explain what happened. Boykins told her and others who spoke with the AP he wasn’t either.
Janice Hall, then the city’s head of human resources, told the AP that she was not consulted.
“I would have wanted to hear the facts” from DePaepe, Hall said. “There was so much secretiveness involved in the whole process.”
That failure had an important side effect. Buttigieg wrote in his memoir that he didn’t know about the purportedly racist comments until after he removed Boykins, allegations he called “explosive, and serious” if true. But his book leaves out DePaepe and fails to address why he went ahead with her firing with no internal investigation, even after local media reported on the comments on the recordings.
Buttigieg said he didn’t think they were in a position to second-guess the FBI, and even if they did their own investigation, “the main investigative resource we would have had would be the police department, which obviously would not be able to conduct this one.”
Tom Price, a top aide to Buttigieg’s predecessor, said, “It seemed like a quick reaction that wasn’t well thought through.”
No black leaders
Buttigieg’s response raised questions about his age and ability to manage, questions that are echoed in his presidential run. It also damaged his relationship with the African American community in South Bend, a rift that has led to doubts about whether he can attract the support of black voters nationwide.
Former Councilman Oliver Davis, a vocal critic of Buttigieg who has endorsed Joe Biden, said people understood he would pick his own chief, but the way he went about it brought disrepute on one of South Bend’s most respected African American leaders.
“The issue is not that he removed and demoted the chief. You can change people around all you want to. But you disgraced him. You disgraced him for your own political good,” Davis said.
Boykins was at that time the only African American in a senior position in city government.
The previous mayor had three black men in top-level positions: Boykins, the fire chief and a senior mayoral adviser.
When Buttigieg took over, the adviser left. The fire chief, Howard Buchanon, retired because Buttigieg chose another chief. That appointee was a white man.
Buchanon told the AP that after the Boykins situation blew up, Buttigieg asked to meet to discuss it.
“I said, ‘You led us to believe that a lot of minorities were going to be in your administration,’” Buchanon recalled telling him. “But Mayor Pete, I don’t see that.”
He recalled asking the mayor where black and Hispanic leaders were in his administration: Buttigieg’s head dropped — a tacit acknowledgement that there were none.
Pastor J.B. Williams, a leader in Faith In Indiana, told the AP: “We did not see a plan to have minorities involved in decision-making processes. That, to me, was a big mistake.”
Asked about the criticism, Buttigieg highlighted his 2013 appointment of an African American woman as the city’s top lawyer — an appointment made more than a year after Boykins’ demotion.
Among the steps Buttigieg took to address allegations of racism in the department, his campaign said, were requiring all officers to take civil rights and implicit bias training, and installing a majority-minority civilian police board.
South Bend’s population is 53% non-Hispanic white, and more than one-quarter black. But more than three-quarters of the people Buttigieg chose as top advisers or department heads during his eight years in office — including two police chiefs — were white, according to an AP analysis of information provided by the campaign.
Buttigieg’s defenders say he knew there would be implications within the black community if he removed Boykins, but he had to do “the right thing.”
“There was never a good choice,” said Mark Neal, Buttigieg’s first city controller. “Like any good leader, you live with the consequences of that.”
His critics are unmoved.
Buchanon said if Buttigieg’s record in South Bend is any indication of how he’d run the White House, “I don’t see any black person in leadership for him.”
“He had the opportunity to change some things,” Buchanon said. “And he didn’t.”
Around South Bend, opinions about Buttigieg’s tenure and abilities are as varied as the people who hold them.
Many people say he entered the mayor’s office with good intentions but not enough experience — less than three years as a consultant at McKinsey, a position he recently described as mostly doing research and analysis. He was also an intelligence analyst in the Navy Reserve and in his memoir referred to himself as “a more junior employee … rather than the boss.”
Hall, the former HR director, said Buttigieg got poor advice from people he depended on, including Schmuhl, who now runs his campaign.
“They had not had a lot of experience,” Hall said.
Davis and others noted Buttigieg got rid of veteran leadership, instead going with what Davis called a “millennial crowd” that had “no muscle memory” for how things worked.
Price, who supported Buttigieg in the past, said his experience running a city of just 100,000 doesn’t make him ready for the White House. “I think he’s massively underqualified to be president,” Price said. “I think he would be a dreadful mistake for our country, and for the Democratic Party.”
Buttigieg told the AP he has learned from the Boykins affair, which he calls a “no-win” situation. Sometimes, he said, you can’t find a perfect answer — only an approach that’s going to involve “the least harm.”
When you’re young and encounter a problem, Buttigieg said, people who disagree will say you did it because you were young.
“If you were older, they would still disagree,” Buttigieg said. “They just wouldn’t say it had to do with being young.”
AP writer Stephen Braun in Washington and researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.


pbs--2020-01-16--Read the full watchdog report on Ukraine aid withholding

The U.S. federal government ’ s auditing agency has concluded that the White House Office of Management and Budget violated @ @ @ @ @ aid to Ukraine in the summer of 2019 , according to a decision issued today @ @ @ @ @ said OMB ’ s reasoning for withholding the aid — “ to ensure that they @ @ @ @ @ a manner that could conflict with the President ’ s foreign policy ' ” — @ @ @ @ @ The law does not permit OMB to withhold funds for policy reasons , ” GAO @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .

The U.S. federal government’s auditing agency has concluded that the White House Office of Management and Budget violated the law when it withheld aid to Ukraine in the summer of 2019, according to a decision issued today.
The Government Accountability Office said OMB’s reasoning for withholding the aid — “to ensure that they were not spent ‘in a manner that could conflict with the President’s foreign policy'” — is not allowed.
“The law does not permit OMB to withhold funds for policy reasons,” GAO General Counsel Thomas Armstrong said in a statement.
Read the full GAO report below.


pbs--2020-01-16--White House violated law in freezing Ukraine aid, watchdog says

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The White House violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine , an action at the center of President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment , a federal watchdog agency said Thursday .
The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law in holding up the aid , which Congress passed less than a year ago , saying “ the President is not vested with the power to ignore or amend any such duly enacted law.
” The aid in question was held up last summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September after a whistleblower ’ s complaint became public .
The independent agency , which reports to Congress , said OMB violated the Impoundment Control Act in delaying the security assistance Congress authorized for Ukraine for “ policy reasons , ” rather than technical budgetary needs .
“ Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law , ” wrote the agency ’ s general counsel , Thomas Armstrong , in the report .
Capitol Hill Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lawless White House .
led by Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney , who is a key figure in the impeachment investigation of Trump .
He is still officially the OMB director .
“ Congress makes funding decisions , and the Trump Administration ’ s illegal impoundment of these vital national security funds was a brazen assault on the checks and balances inherent to our democracy , ” said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey , D-N.Y. “ Given that this illegal conduct threatened our security and undermined our elections , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has chosen the right course by impeaching President Trump .
No one is above the law.
” OMB has argued the hold was appropriate and necessary .
“ We disagree with GAO ’ s opinion .
OMB uses its apportionment authority to ensure taxpayer dollars are properly spent consistent with the President ’ s priorities and with the law , ” said OMB spokeswoman Rachel Semmel .
Trump was impeached last month on charges of abusing his power for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic rivals , as he was withholding the aid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Senate is set to begin its trial on Thursday .
The GAO finding concludes that the White House budget office “ withheld the funds for an unauthorized reason in violation ” of the Impoundment Control Act , a federal law that requires the executive branch to spend money that is appropriated by Congress .
The impoundment control law is rigorously adhered to by career officials in agency budget offices , who can face severe trouble for violating it .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine, an action at the center of President Donald Trump’s impeachment, a federal watchdog agency said Thursday.
The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law in holding up the aid, which Congress passed less than a year ago, saying “the President is not vested with the power to ignore or amend any such duly enacted law.” The aid in question was held up last summer on orders from Trump but was released in September after a whistleblower’s complaint became public.
The independent agency, which reports to Congress, said OMB violated the Impoundment Control Act in delaying the security assistance Congress authorized for Ukraine for “policy reasons,” rather than technical budgetary needs.
“Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law,” wrote the agency’s general counsel, Thomas Armstrong, in the report.
Capitol Hill Democrats seized on the report as evidence of a lawless White House. led by Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, who is a key figure in the impeachment investigation of Trump. He is still officially the OMB director.
“Congress makes funding decisions, and the Trump Administration’s illegal impoundment of these vital national security funds was a brazen assault on the checks and balances inherent to our democracy,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. “Given that this illegal conduct threatened our security and undermined our elections, I feel even more strongly that the House has chosen the right course by impeaching President Trump. No one is above the law.”
OMB has argued the hold was appropriate and necessary.
“We disagree with GAO’s opinion. OMB uses its apportionment authority to ensure taxpayer dollars are properly spent consistent with the President’s priorities and with the law,” said OMB spokeswoman Rachel Semmel.
Trump was impeached last month on charges of abusing his power for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic rivals, as he was withholding the aid, and for obstructing Congress’ ensuing probe. The Senate is set to begin its trial on Thursday.
The GAO finding concludes that the White House budget office “withheld the funds for an unauthorized reason in violation” of the Impoundment Control Act, a federal law that requires the executive branch to spend money that is appropriated by Congress.
The impoundment control law is rigorously adhered to by career officials in agency budget offices, who can face severe trouble for violating it.
Read the full GAO report.


pbs--2020-01-16--Ukraine investigates possible surveillance of former U.S. ambassador

KYIV , Ukraine ( AP ) — Ukrainian police said Thursday they have opened an investigation into the possibility that the U.S. ambassador came under illegal surveillance by an unknown party before she was recalled from her post in May .
The announcement Thursday came two days after Democratic lawmakers in the United States released a trove of documents that showed Lev Parnas , an associate of President Donald Trump ’ s personal lawyer , communicating about the removal of Marie Yovanovitch as the ambassador to Ukraine .
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry , which runs the police forces , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not interfering in the internal political affairs of the United States.
” “ However , the published messages contain facts of possible violations of Ukrainian law and of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations , which protect the rights of diplomats on the territory of another state , ” the statement continued .
“ Our goal is to investigate whether there actually was a violation of Ukrainian and international law , which could be the subject for proper reaction .
Or whether it is just bravado and fake information in the informal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ministry said .
The Interior Ministry also said it has requested the FBI provide relevant materials .
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov “ suggested that the U.S. side take part in the investigation , ” the statement said .
In another move touching on the Trump impeachment , Ukraine said it was opening an investigation into reports that Russian hackers gained access to computers of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma .
Hunter Biden , the son of Trump opponent and former U.S. vice president Joe Biden , was on the board of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations that Trump , had tried to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy into investigating Burisma by withholding promised military aid .
The FBI has been invited to take part in the Burisma hacking investigation , the ministry said .
Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this story .

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian police said Thursday they have opened an investigation into the possibility that the U.S. ambassador came under illegal surveillance by an unknown party before she was recalled from her post in May.
The announcement Thursday came two days after Democratic lawmakers in the United States released a trove of documents that showed Lev Parnas, an associate of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, communicating about the removal of Marie Yovanovitch as the ambassador to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry, which runs the police forces, said in a statement that Ukrainian police “are not interfering in the internal political affairs of the United States.”
“However, the published messages contain facts of possible violations of Ukrainian law and of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, which protect the rights of diplomats on the territory of another state,” the statement continued.
“Our goal is to investigate whether there actually was a violation of Ukrainian and international law, which could be the subject for proper reaction. Or whether it is just bravado and fake information in the informal conversation between two U.S. citizens,” the ministry said.
The Interior Ministry also said it has requested the FBI provide relevant materials. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov “suggested that the U.S. side take part in the investigation,” the statement said.
In another move touching on the Trump impeachment, Ukraine said it was opening an investigation into reports that Russian hackers gained access to computers of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma.
Hunter Biden, the son of Trump opponent and former U.S. vice president Joe Biden, was on the board of that company. The impeachment inquiry began with allegations that Trump, had tried to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy into investigating Burisma by withholding promised military aid.
The FBI has been invited to take part in the Burisma hacking investigation, the ministry said.
Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this story.