Republican lawmakers storm hearing, disrupt testimony
A US House of Representatives impeachment inquiry devolved into chaos on Wednesday as Republican lawmakers, encouraged by President Donald Trump to get tougher in fighting Democratic efforts to impeach him over dealings with Ukraine, stormed into a high-security hearing room and delayed testimony by a witness.
The more than two dozen Republican lawmakers, who were not authorized to attend the hearing, entered before Laura Cooper, the US defense official who oversees Ukraine and Russia matters, was due to testify behind closed doors before Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
The Republicans yelled complaints that the Democrats in charge of the inquiry were conducting it in private, lawmakers and aides said. Republicans who are members of the three congressional committees conducting the inquiry have taken part in the process throughout.
After a delay of about four hours, Cooper began her testimony.
It was a dramatic confrontation in the House of Representatives inquiry that threatens Republican Trump’s presidency even as he seeks re-election next year.
Democrats are investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Trump over his July 25 request in a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden is a front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Zelenskiy agreed during the call. US security aid that had been approved by the US Congress but was being withheld from Ukraine was later provided. Federal election law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election.
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