TRUMP’S TURNCOAT
Donald Trump defender Kurt Volker changes story in impeachment hearing and says military aid WAS linked to Biden probe
DONALD Trump’s major defender has suddenly changed his story — now saying Ukraine aid was linked to a probe against the US president’s election rival.
Former US special envoy Kurt Volker has dramatically conceded during impeachment hearings new information had come to light that had changed his testimony.
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Mr Volker had previously provided information at a closed hearing that helped Trump, including saying Ukrainians did not know hundreds of millions of US aid was being withheld.
But, in a hearing yesterday, he said: "Since I gave my testimony on October 3, a great deal of additional information and perspectives have come to light.
"I have learned many things that I did not know at the time of the events in question.
"I did not know of any linkage between the hold on security assistance and Ukraine pursuing investigations.
"No one had ever said that to me — and I never conveyed such a linkage to the Ukrainians."
In retrospect, I should have seen that connection differently
Former US special envoy Kurt Volker
Mr Volker also said he now acknowledged the probe Trump wanted Ukraine to launch into Burisma — the Ukrainian gas giant which hired Hunter Biden as a board member in 2014 — was really an investigation into Joe Biden and his son.
He said: "In retrospect, I should have seen that connection differently, and had I done so, I would have raised my own objections."
Public impeachment inquiry so far
- US President Trump is accused of trying to press Ukraine into investigating political rival Joe Biden
- American diplomat Bill Taylor alleges Trump's personal lawyer handled a "highly irregular" foreign policy back channel in Ukraine
- Republicans mocked 'star witness' Taylor for having no personal contact with the president
- Trump said he was not watching the hearings, calling them a "witch hunt" and "a hoax"
- Democrats defeat motion to make 'whistleblower' testify to the hearing
- Last week, Republican Devin Nunes accused Democrats of trying to obtain nude pictures of Trump
Trump had been bent on finding out why Joe Biden’s son Hunter was on the firm’s board, despite seemingly lacking relevant experience?
Ex-vice president in the Barack Obama government, Joe Biden, is one of the front runners for the 2020 presidential nomination.
Trump denies wrongdoing, but Democrats say his behaviour constitutes an abuse of his presidential power for his own political gain.
It is illegal to use a foreign power to help in elections.
What is impeachment and how does it work?
IMPEACHMENT is a formal charge of serious wrongdoing against a holder of public office in the United States.
It is one of the few ways a sitting president can be kicked out of the White House before an election.
The US Constitution states a president "shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours".
The "sole power of impeachment" is held by the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress.
A simple majority is required - i.e. more than half of Representatives must vote to impeach the president.
Then the case would be tried by the Senate, the upper chamber of Congress, where a two-thirds majority is needed.
While the Senate is still controlled by the Republicans, with 53 of the 100 seats, the Democrats have control of the House of Representatives, with 235 of the 435 seats.
This means that it's possible for the House of Representatives to pass a vote to impeach the president.
However, a two-thirds majority of 67 Senators voting to impeach Trump would still be needed in the Senate when it is tried.
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Meanwhile a military veteran has slammed "vile and reprehensible" character take-downs on people giving evidence to the impeachment inquiry.
This came after they were targeted by Trump while his supporters accused them of sabotage.
Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Vindman, who served in the Iraq war and received the Purple Heart for wounded servicemen, told the public hearing: "We are better than callow and cowardly attacks."
He was speaking of his concern over Trump’s "improper" phone call with the Ukrainian president that had triggered the impeachment inquiry.
In July, he phoned his Ukrainian counterpart and asked him to Biden. Notes of the call came to light in September.
Impeached Presidents
NO American President has been removed from office by impeachment.
However, two have faced the process.
In 1868, Andrew Johnson was acquitted of charges over the sacking of his Secretary of War.
He survived by a single vote in the Senate.
Bill Clinton was impeached in the House of the Representatives - the lower chamber of Congress - in 1998 after being accused of perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
But, he was acquitted in the Senate - the upper chamber of Congress - largely due to his high public approval rating at the time.
In 1974, US President Richard Nixon quit the White House before he could be impeached over the Watergate scandal.
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