Dem Committee Chairs Slam White House’s ‘Shocking,’ ‘Damning’ Ukraine Memo

Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff speaks alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Committee Chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), and Judiciary Committee Chair Jerold Nadler (D-NY) at a news conference on July 24... Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff speaks alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Committee Chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), and Judiciary Committee Chair Jerold Nadler (D-NY) at a news conference on July 24, 2019. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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The chairs of the House Intelligence, Judiciary, Oversight and Foreign Affairs Committees on Wednesday released a caustic statement on the White House’s memo describing President Donald Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president.

“The transcript is an unambiguous, damning, and shocking abuse of the Office of the Presidency for personal political gain,” the Democrats said. “This is a clear breach of trust placed in the President to faithfully execute the laws and to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.”

The committee leaders said the document “confirms our worst fears” about Trump’s attempt to use his position to help his own reelection prospects.

Their statement also addressed Trump and his GOP allies’ defense that the memo did not show any quid pro quo in regards to U.S. aid to Ukraine and Trump’s request for an investigation into Joe Biden.

“Let’s be clear: no quid pro quo is required to betray our country,” they said. “Trump asked a foreign government to interfere in our elections—that is betrayal enough.”

The Democrats emphasized their demand to review the whistleblower’s complaint, as well as any records of the Trump administration’s decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine shortly before Trump’s call to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

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Notable Replies

  1. “Let’s be clear: no quid pro quo is required to betray our country,”

    This is what happens when the “Recall email” does not work. :smile:

  2. Avatar for ljb860 ljb860 says:

    And next we hear, pizz off from the WH after all they have said the same any number of times and it has worked…

  3. Well waddya know, looks like we’re winning the news cycle for once

  4. Now bring on the AUDIO.
    It has to be even more appalling.
    To hell with edited transcripts. Memos, summaries.

    Play the tapes!.
    We want to HEAR the weasel …on a loop…just like his grab ‘em by the P was endlessly played.

  5. Avatar for reggid reggid says:

    The Trumpites defenses basically seem to be falling into one of two categories:

    1. He never actually used the specific words “extortion” or “quid pro quo,” so it’s just fine.
    2. He only tied the release of aid funds to them going after Biden 5 or 6 times, not 8, so it’s just fine.

    If these are the best defenses one has, one is, to use the technical legal jargon, fucked sky-high.

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