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Trump news: Republicans attempt to stonewall impeachment hearing as witnesses outline damning evidence to remove president

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Trump claims pro-Israel group will vote for him to protect their wealth

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Donald Trump has claimed victory after Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz released his report claiming that the FBI did not pursue a politically motivated investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign — but that agents did tend to favour damaging evidence over exculpatory evidence as the investigation continued.

The report was released as House Judiciary Committee presented and reviewed the evidence accumulated so far in the impeachment inquiry, with charges against the president expected to be drawn up by the end of the week ahead of a potential pre-Christmas vote in the House of Representatives.

During the hearing, Democrats sought to impress upon the American people that the evidence against Mr Trump was nearly undeniable.

Republicans, meanwhile, did their best to throw the hearing off the traicks and raise as many distractions as possible.

The president is meanwhile under fire for hosting pardoned war criminals - army first lieutenant Clint Lorance and major Mathew Golsteyn - at a Florida Republican Party fundraising dinner over the weekend.

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Giuliani to submit Ukraine report to attorney general, Congress

Bill Barr may have his doubts about Rudy Giuliani but he'll be receiving a copy of a report Trump's lawyer is writing on Ukraine - as will Congress - the president told reporters on Saturday.

“He’s going to make a report, I think to the attorney general and to Congress. He says he has a lot of good information. I have not spoken to him about that information yet,” Trump told reporters on Saturday.

“He has not told me what he found, but I think he wants to go before Congress... and also to the attorney general and the Department of Justice,” he added. “I hear he has found plenty.” 

Giuliani was in Ukraine last week to meet with ex-prosecutors general and other officials as part of a bid to exonerate the president with the impeachment inquiry picking up the pace in Washington.

Here he is trailing his report from Eastern Europe last week, indicating his role as the president's shadow foreign policy operative is alive and well in spite of the recent storm of controversy over his efforts to smear the former US ambassador to the country, Marie Yovanovitch.

Incidentally, The New York Times reports today that Rudy is operating with "monthly expenses of $230,000 [£175,000] for six homes and 11 country club memberships".  Wow.

Joe Sommerlad9 December 2019 12:20

Americans suffering from 'Mueller fatigue'?

Adam Schiff appeared to hint over the weekend that the obstruction of justice questions raised by the Mueller report will not be included among the articles of impeachment, the Democrats seemingly preferring to stick with the clear narrative they have established regarding his misadventures with Ukraine.

Here's a useful discussion of that point from CNN's New Day.

Joe Sommerlad9 December 2019 12:40

‘We’ve seen enough’: LA Times board announces backing for Trump impeachment

One of the largest newspapers in the US has come out in favour of the impeachment of Trump over his “flagrant abuse of power”.

Peter Stubley has more.

Joe Sommerlad9 December 2019 13:00

Danish Nato seminar cancelled after Trump critic blocked from attending

A seminar on Nation in Denmark has been cancelled after the US blocked Stanley Sloan - an American academic who has criticised Donald Trump - from attending.

The Danish Atlantic Council said it was "regrettably" no longer holding its event after Sloan, an expert on foreign policy, was apparently prevented from coming at the request of Carla Sands, the US ambassador to Denmark.

Phil Thomas has more on an appalling obstruction of free speech.

Joe Sommerlad9 December 2019 13:15

Elizabeth Warren releases financial records in response to Pete Buttigieg challenge

Opponents of 2020 candidate Elizabeth Warren are making much of the Massachusetts senator's decision to respond to a call from rival Pete Buttigieg to release her tax returns by doing so and revealing she was compensated $2m (£1.5m) for consultancy and legal work between 1985 and 2009 during her tenure as a Harvard law professor.

As many of her defenders have been quick to point out online since The Wall Street Journal story broke last night, this is no doubt a fraction of what she might have earned had seen been a man and actually a pretty reasonable sum earned over such a long period for the opinion of a a professor emerita at Harvard Law. 

Hardly grounds to cancel her credibility as an advocate of Big Government.

Joe Sommerlad9 December 2019 13:35

Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage on the House Judiciary Committee's second impeachment hearing. I'm Chris Riotta, and I'll be walking you through today's hearing with the help of Andrew Feinberg, who is in the room where it happens. 

Here's his view at the moment: looks like the Republicans have brought some handy props: 

Chris Riotta9 December 2019 13:55

The impeachment hearing is set to begin momentarily as witnesses and the House Judiciary Committee files in. 

A quick word of advice in the meantime from a constitutional expert and former adviser to President Barack Obama: 

Chris Riotta9 December 2019 14:05

House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler has begun the hearings. Stay tuned for live updates, video and analysis as it rolls in. The New York Democrat will begin with an opening statement, before the ranking Republican member begins with an opening statement.

Chris Riotta9 December 2019 14:10

A protestor has interrupted the meeting and began screaming at House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler.

"You're the one committing treason!" the protestor shouts. "We voted for Donald Trump!" 

"America is sick of the impeachment scam! America voted for Donald Trump!" 

Chris Riotta9 December 2019 14:11

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has begun with his opening statement after the protestor was quickly removed from the hearing room.

Here's video of the moment - 

Chris Riotta9 December 2019 14:15

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