House Dems Target Pence For Trump-Ukraine Doc Demand

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence delivers a keynote address during Access Intelligence's Satellite 2019 Conference and Exhibition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center May 06, 2019 in W... WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 06: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence delivers a keynote address during Access Intelligence's Satellite 2019 Conference and Exhibition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center May 06, 2019 in Washington, DC. A marketing, events and business intelligence company that serves the energy, chemical, defense, cable, aviation, satellite, healthcare and media industries, Access Intelligence hosted the conference with the theme, 'The Business of Meaningful Connections.' (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS

October 4, 2019 4:06 p.m.

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House Democrats investigating grounds to impeach President Trump have sent a wide-ranging document request to Vice President Mike Pence, in the latest step as Congress probes the administration’s efforts to force Ukraine to fabricate political dirt.

Committees on Foreign Affairs, Oversight, and Intelligence are seeking documents from Pence as part of the impeachment inquiry, including information about and communications related to President Trump’s April 21 and July 25 phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The panels gave Pence a deadline of Oct. 15 to respond to the request.

Trump reportedly used Pence in his efforts to pressure Zelensky into fabricating dirt on Biden and on the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, while an unknown member of his staff allegedly participated on July 25 call with the Ukrainian President.

Pence met directly with Zelensky in Warsaw on Sept. 1, traveling to Eastern Europe instead of Trump. The vice president allegedly raised the Trump administration’s decision to withhold security assistance to Ukraine with Zelensky during the meeting.

The committees ask Pence for information about the Warsaw trip, including communications with Ukrainian officials as well as Jared Kushner and Energy Secretary Rick Perry.

The House panels also ask Pence for information about a Sept. 18 phone call he purportedly held with the Ukrainian leader, and about a Sept. 17 phone call that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held with Ukraine’s foreign minister.

Read the letter here:

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Josh Kovensky is an investigative reporter for Talking Points Memo, based in New York. He previously worked for the Kyiv Post in Ukraine, covering politics, business, and corruption there.

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