Tag: Impeachment Inquiry

WVPB Coverage Of Impeachment Hearings Continues Thursday

West Virginia Public Broadcasting will continue to air the House of Representatives’ Public Impeachment Hearings  next week beginning Tuesday, November 19. Hearings are expected to continue Wednesday and Thursday of next week beginning at 9 a.m. each day.

NPR Live Coverage will air on WVPB’s statewide public radio network and PBS NewsHour’s Special Coverage will air on The West Virginia Channel on television. A repeat broadcast of each day’s PBS NewsHour’s Special Coverage will air on The West Virginia Channel starting at 7 p.m. 

WVPB also will stream the coverage live on its YouTube channel and wvpublic.org.

On Tuesday, November 19,  morning testimony will include Jennifer Williams (a State Department official advising the vice president’s office) and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (a National Security Council staffer). The afternoon will feature Kurt Volker (the former U.S. special representative to Ukraine) and Tim Morrison (a National Security Council staffer).
 
On Wednesday, November 20, US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland will testify in the morning. Defense Department official Laura Cooper and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale will testify in the afternoon.
 
On Thursday, November 21, former National Security Council staffer Fiona Hill is scheduled to testify.

WVPB Coverage Of Impeachment Hearings Continues Friday

West Virginia Public Broadcasting will air live coverage of the House of Representatives’ Public Impeachment Hearings this Wednesday, November 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Friday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

NPR Live Coverage will air on the statewide public radio network and PBS NewsHour’s Special Coverage will air on The West Virginia Channel on television.

WVPB also will stream the coverage live on its YouTube channel. A repeat broadcast of PBS NewsHour’s Special Coverage will air on The West Virginia Channel from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.

West Virginia Representatives Vote Against Formalizing Impeachment Procedures

Updated Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 3:45 p.m.

The U.S. House of Representatives has adopted a resolution formalizing its impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. As the first official vote in what’s sure to be many related to impeachment, the roll call showed a stark divide between majority Democrats who’ve already begun holding closed-door depositions on the matter and Republicans who continue to back the president. West Virginia’s three House members — all Republicans — voted against the measure.

H. Res. 660 authorizes the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to conduct open hearings and allows the president and his attorneys the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses should Democrats approve. The resolution also directs the three panels leading the ongoing inquiry — the House Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees — to report their findings to the House Judiciary Committee, which will decide whether to move forward with drafting and voting on articles of impeachment.

Democrats said the procedures — which give them the ability to curb the president’s lawyers from calling witnesses — are similar to rules used during the impeachment proceedings of Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. Republicans complained they were skewed against Trump.

The measure was approved Thursday on a 232-196 vote, with two Democrats — Rep. Jeff Van Drew (N.J.) and Rep. Collin Peterson (Minn.) joining Republicans in opposing the measure. The House’s lone Independent, Justin Amash (Mich.) voted in favor of the resolution.

West Virginia’s House delegation, comprised of three Republicans, has backed President Trump as the impeachment investigation has mounted. They’ve called the inquiry “partisan” and “baseless.” 

Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Carol Miller — of the state’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd districts, respectively — all voted against Thursday’s resolution.

“Our Founding Fathers never intended for impeachment to be used as a tool for scoring political points. Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist Papers No. 65, that there is always a danger that the decision to use the power of impeachment would be driven by partisan ‘animosities’ instead of ‘real demonstrations of innocence or guilt.’ Today’s purely partisan vote has proven Hamilton right,” McKinley said in a statement Thursday. “This process has continued to be unfair and unproductive, Democrats have created a biased narrative by using selective leaks and secretive interviews. Under Speaker Pelosi’s leadership, the House, has had more subpeoenas issued than bills signed into law.”

McKinley and Miller said Democrats in the House have been too focused on impeachment and not other issues affecting West Virginia and the rest of the country. 

In a statement following Thursday’s vote, Miller also argued that the resolution falls short in providing President Trump the same rights as other presidents who have been impeached. 

“The resolution brought to the floor today fails to provide my Republican colleagues and I, as well as the Trump Administration, the same rights offered in past presidential impeachment proceedings,” Miller said in part. “Their investigation is centered around secret hearings and selective leaks designed to damage the President. This process lacks transparency and fairness.”

Mooney issued a statement through a video posted to Facebook. 

“There’s already been 37 days of secret hearings — I attended once and attempted to attend many other times. Those secret hearings will still go on with this inquiry vote — supporting of it with his vote,” Mooney said in the video. “I’m glad they had a vote, so the American people can see where their representatives stand on this issue.”

Last week, Mooney joined dozens of other Republicans in a protest of the closed-door depositions as they made their way into a sensitive compartmented information facility — known as a SCIF — were being held. Like other GOP lawmakers, Mooney argued the depositions were being done in “secret” and called for proceedings to take place in view of the public and the news media. 

In a tweet posted Tuesday, Mooney said he again tried to make his way into a deposition being held in the SCIF. 

Miller also participated in last week’s protest. She sits on the House Oversight Committee, which is one of the three House committees that have had access to the depositions.

In a press conference as members gathered in the House ahead of Thursday’s vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed back on Republican claims that the process is a “sham” and unfair to President Trump. She said procedures laid out in the resolution are “very transparent and open.” Pelosi also said the resolution gives “more privileges to the president and his argument than were given in the past.”

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story. 

Tracking The Impeachment Inquiry: How West Virginia’s Congressional Delegation Has Responded So Far

Editor’s Note: This post will compile past and future stories — including comments, votes and other responses from West Virginia’s congressional delegation — related to the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Please check back often for the latest. 

Like all members of Congress — 435 in the House (with three seats currently vacant) and 100 in the Senate — West Virginia’s delegation is set to play a role in the impeachment process. 

After evidence has been gathered — a committee would draft, amend and adopt one or more articles of impeachment before handing the process over to the full House of Representatives. If and when articles of impeachment are adopted by the full House, Trump would stand trial in the Senate — with members acting as jurors. A two-thirds majority would be needed to convict him in a Senate trial. 

(West Virginia Public Broadcasting will detail the state delegation’s votes and request comment on that and other procedures moving forward throughout the impeachment inquiry process.)

Trump commanded strong support in West Virginia in the 2016 election, taking 68.5 percent of votes and beating Democrat Hillary Clinton by 42 percentage points. 

But will West Virginia’s congressional representatives and senators stick with Trump and oppose his impeachment? So far, comments and actions from the state’s three Republicans in the House of Representatives and Sen. Shelly Moore Capito, seem to indicate they will. 

So far, only moderate Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin has said that an investigation into Trump’s possible holding out of foreign aid to Ukraine — in exchange for an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son — is warranted. 

October 31: West Virginia House Members Oppose Resolution Outling Impeachment Inquiry Procedures

The U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution Thursday, October 31, formalizing its impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. As part of a 232-196 vote, West Virginia’s three House members — all Republicans — voted against the measure. 

Prior to Thursday’s vote, Rep. Alex Mooney and Rep. Carol Miller had protested closed-door depositions that had been held. They called for more transparency in the impeachment inquiry process.  

October 23-24: Reps. Mooney, Miller Take Part In GOP Protest Of Depositions

On Wednesday, October 23, Republicans staged a protest of closed-door depositions being held by three committees spearheading the impeachment inquiry. 

At the heart of those protests were Rep. Alex Mooney and Rep. Carol Miller — of West Virginia’s 2nd and 3rd Districts, respectively. 

Photos and video of Mooney show the congressman making his way towards a secure compartmented information facility — known as a SCIF — with a cell phone in hand. He said he gave up his phone on the way in and, in a tweet, he dispatched audio from inside the facility. 

In an interview with West Virginia Public Broadcasting a day later, Mooney defended his role in the protest and even claimed the idea as his own. 

“Committee hearings aren’t supposed to be done in secret,” he said. “This is a basic thing of government and I don’t care where you stand on the issues — Republican or Democrat, or if you like Trump or you don’t like Trump.  Committee hearings are not supposed to be done in secret, particularly impeachment inquiries.”

However, Republicans from three House panels — the Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees — have been able to participate in the deposition hearings.

Rep. Carol Miller— who sits on the Oversight Committee and has had access to the depositions — was also involved in the GOP protest. 

A spokesperson for Rep. David McKinley said the congressman did not take part. 

September 24-25: Delegation Weighs In On Launch Of Impeachment Inquiry

A day after Speaker Pelosi announced the launch of the impeachment inquiry, members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation offered their initial thoughts on the matter.

Republicans took aim at Pelosi and called the inquiry “partisan theatrics.” 

As the state’s lone Democrat in Washington, Sen. Joe Manchin, took a non-prejudicial tone.

“Any allegation of misconduct with a foreign country must be investigated. I firmly believe it is premature to jump to any conclusion until an investigation of the facts is complete,” Manchin said in a statement at the time. 

Manchin went on to say that he takes his “responsibility in the process very seriously,” and that “the Senate’s role is to evaluate the facts.

West Virginia Delegation Reacts To Impeachment Inquiry Launched Against President Trump

Updated Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 2:40 p.m.

West Virginia’s congressional delegation has weighed in on a formal impeachment inquiry launched against President Trump and the contents of a phone call between Trump and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Ca., announced Tuesday, Sept. 24, that House Democrats are moving forward with an impeachment inquiry related to a whistleblower complaint about the president. Additionally, the White House released a partial transcript of the July 25, 2019, Trump-Zelenskiy phone call. That account of the phone conversation was based on notes taken by White House staff assigned to listen. 

According to a partial transcript the White House released Wednesday, Trump asked Zelenskiy for “a favor” by looking into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

The conversation has raised concerns that Trump may have broken the law by asking for foreign help against a potential presidential contender in 2020. However, the Justice Department has concluded that prosecutors “did not and could not make out a criminal campaign finance violation.”

Capito Calls Impeachment Inquiry ‘Partisan Theatrics,’ Manchin Takes Non-Prejudicial Tone

On Tuesday evening, Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito offered a statement characterizing the impeachment inquiry as politically motivated and partisan in nature. 

“West Virginians have made it clear to me time and time again that they would rather Congress focus on the issues that truly affect their day-to-day lives — not political and partisan theatrics,” Capito said. “Earlier this afternoon, in good faith, the president said he is willing to release the ‘complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript,’ and I applaud that decision. Moving forward with an impeachment inquiry before that transcript is even public proves that House Democrats are more interested in partisan politics than in following the facts.”

Since the release of the partial transcript, Capito has not returned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s request for comment on what is publicly known about the Trump-Zelenskiy phone call. 

Sen. Joe Manchin, the only Democrat to represent West Virginia in Congress, struck a cautious, unprejudiced tone with news of the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. 

“Any allegation of misconduct with a foreign country must be investigated. I firmly believe it is premature to jump to any conclusion until an investigation of the facts is complete,” Manchin said in a statement issued just after noon on Wednesday.

Manchin went on to say that he takes his “responsibility in the process very seriously” and that “the Senate’s role is to evaluate the facts.” The senior senator did not make mention of or comment on the partial transcript released Wednesday by the White House. 

“It would be irresponsible of me to comment on each piece of the process until all of the facts come out and the Senate begins to review the findings,” Manchin said, adding that he hopes the Senate rises above party and politics to do what is best for the country.

Republican House Representatives Take Aim At Speaker Pelosi

By midday Wednesday, all three of West Virginia’s Republican members in the House of Representatives had also offered a reaction to the impeachment inquiry, but only one has specifically mentioned the partial transcript of the Trump-Zelenskiy call. 

Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Carol Miller all took aim at Speaker Pelosi and described the impeachment inquiry as politically motivated.

“Speaker Pelosi’s call for impeachment is just another partisan attack on President Trump,” McKinley, of the 1st District, said in a statement issued Tuesday. “This Congress has featured countless investigations, and today’s announcement is nothing more than Democrats continuing to put partisan politics ahead of getting real legislation done.”

Rep. Alex Mooney, a Republican from the 2nd District, echoed McKinley’s sentiments about the impeachment inquiry. 

“Nancy Pelosi and her liberal allies in Congress have launched a baseless and purely partisan impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. The liberals in Congress have been clear from day one that their goal was to take down President Trump and remove him from office,” Mooney said. “As I travel across West Virginia, I talk to folks who are sick and tired of this purely partisan investigation aimed at reversing the results of the presidential election. It is time for Democrats to move on and start focusing on issues that matter to all Americans.” 

Rep. Carol Miller, a freshman from the 3rd District, offered a statement similar to McKinley’s and Mooney’s. She released a statement Wednesday morning via Twitter, also accusing Speaker Pelosi of politically attacking the president. 

“Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have once again proven they are willing to stop at nothing to discredit the 2016 election and take down President Trump by any means necessary,” Miller wrote. “It’s time for Washington liberals to stop playing politics and embrace the success of the Trump administration. I encourage my colleagues across the aisle to repurpose this misguided impeachment effort and work with House Republicans to grow our economy, end the opioid epidemic and solve the crisis on our Southern border. I stand with our president.”

Responding to a Wednesday afternoon email from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Rep. Miller downplayed the contents of the partial transcript of the Trump-Zelenskiy phone call. 

“The transcript of the conversation between President Trump and President Zelenskyy clearly shows there was no wrongdoing. How many more times will President Trump have to be exonerated before this Witch Hunt ends?” Miller said.

Other members of the congressional delegation have not yet returned additional requests for comment on the partial transcript released by the White House. 

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