Defence resumes in key impeachment week; Dems seek witnesses

  • 📰 CTVNews
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 77 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 34%
  • Publisher: 99%

Law Law Headlines News

Law Law Latest News,Law Law Headlines

U.S. President Donald Trump's impeachment trial enters a pivotal week as his defence team resumes its case and senators face a critical vote on whether to hear witnesses or proceed directly to a vote that is widely expected to end in his acquittal.

Those decisions on witnesses may be complicated by reports that Trump said he wanted to maintain a freeze on military assistance to Ukraine until it aided political investigations into his Democratic rivals, That's from former national security adviser John Bolton in a draft of his forthcoming book. The report by The New York Times was later confirmed by The Associated Press. The revelation challenges the defence offered up by Trump and his attorneys in his impeachment trial.

Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, former independent counsel Ken Starr and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi will speak on specific topics. Chief Justice John Roberts will read the questions aloud. He is expected to alternate between both sides of the aisle. Many senators have been talking copious notes throughout the trial in preparation for the question-and-answer time.

While Republicans have hoped for a speedy trial, Trump has called for the testimony of the Bidens and the intelligence community whistleblower whose summer complaint about Trump's July telephone call with Ukraine's leader instigated the impeachment inquiry. Senate rules also call for four hours of deliberations before voting. Since senators are required to sit silently during the trial, expect a closed session where they can deliberate in private.Trump's lawyers argued Saturday that no one knows what Trump's motives were on holding up military assistance to Ukraine. A recording obtained by The Associated Press hours later suggests the president well understood that assistance was a point of leverage over Ukraine.

If new evidence and witnesses are allowed, the recording could take centre stage in the Senate proceedings.The trial is resuming with one week to go until the Iowa caucuses, and is again keeping four Democratic contenders -- Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bennet and Amy Klobuchar -- in Washington instead of campaigning at a critical point in the race.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 1. in LAW

Law Law Latest News, Law Law Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Trump lawyer says Dems want to 'overturn' last electionPresident Donald Trump's lawyers opened their impeachment trial defence on Saturday by asserting that he 'did absolutely nothing wrong' when he asked Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Joe Biden. They accused Democratic prosecutors of omitting key evidence when they presented their case.
Source: CP24 - 🏆 30. / 67 Read more »