President Donald Trump has once again questioned the legitimacy of his first impeachment proceedings. He shared a Fox News column that claims the impeachment, based on allegations related to Ukraine in 2019, was politically manipulated. This renewed focus comes in light of recently released documents and a referral for investigation.
On May 28, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, a column titled "Long-Hidden Documents Reveal First Trump Impeachment Was a Complete Fraud."
The column, written by Fox News legal analyst Greg Jarrett and published on April 17, argues that there was political bias in the whistleblower complaint and the intelligence oversight process.
The controversy centers around a 2019 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A whistleblower alleged that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Following this complaint, the House of Representatives launched an inquiry, ultimately voting to impeach Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted him in February 2020 on both counts.
This latest attack coincides with actions taken by National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard's office released relevant materials last month and referred a criminal investigation to the Justice Department regarding the whistleblower and former intelligence community inspector general Michael Atkinson. Gabbard claimed that political motives influenced the process at the time, which were utilized in the House investigation.
However, a referral for investigation does not automatically imply criminal charges. CBS News reported that while Gabbard's office requested an investigation from the Justice Department, it did not specify what charges were being considered. Democrats maintain that the inquiry was based not only on the whistleblower complaint but also on the White House call record, testimonies from administration officials, and congressional investigations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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