House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday announced a formal impeachment inquiry in response to President Donald Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to probe Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, though Trump’s actions, while questionable, may not be illegal, reports Quartz.
Congress can remove a president before their term is up if enough lawmakers vote to say they committed “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Only three presidents have been subjected to impeachment proceedings, with just one – Richard M. Nixon – resigning in 1974 to avoid being impeached.
The term “high crimes and misdemeanor” means an abuse of power by a high-level public official.
Trump made about eight demands for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to work with his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to investigate Biden and his son. Trump later confirmed reports that his administration froze nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine, but said the move was unrelated to anything with Biden.
It is a crime under the federal bribery statute for a public official to demand anything in value in exchange for performing an official act, per former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade.
Trump is set to release the transcript of his phone call with Zelensky.
“You will see it was a very friendly and totally appropriate call. No pressure and, unlike Joe Biden and his son, NO quid pro quo! This is nothing more than a continuation of the Greatest and most Destructive Witch Hunt of all time!” he said Tuesday.
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