Sen. Charles E. Schumer told the Senate Republicans to drop their “see no evil” approach to the Ukraine corruption saga that is consuming Washington, urging Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to demand a whistleblower complaint that flagged President Trump’s behavior and was deemed credible by a Trump-appointed inspector general.
In a letter, Mr. Schumer told Mr. McConnell to force Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence, and other top officials to testify on events that led to the complaint, which is reportedly tied to Mr. Trump’s July 25 conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Democrats say Mr. Trump appeared to pressure the foreign leader to dig up dirt on his main 2020 opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, and his son Hunter as $250 million in U.S. aid money to Ukraine hung in the balance.
Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community, said the person who blew the whistle on the president’s interactions submitted a complaint that was credible and of “urgent concern.”
“Yet in the face of this dire warning and the Trump administration’s effort to cover it up, the Republican-led Senate has remained silent and submissive, shying away from this institution’s constitutional obligation to conduct oversight. The Republican Senate’s ’see no evil, hear no evil’ attitude toward such a serious national security concern is unacceptable and must change,” Mr. Schumer wrote to Mr. McConnell.
Mr. Trump on Sunday suggested he did bring up Mr. Biden and his son during the call with Mr. Zelensky, though he insists he did nothing wrong and that Mr. Biden should face scrutiny instead.
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As a practical matter, Senate Republicans are Mr. Trump’s main firewall against removal from office, if the situation escalates and House Democrats vote to impeach.
At least one Senate Republican, Mitt Romney, is sounding the alarm, said it’s “critical” for the facts to come out.
Mr. Schumer said Republicans should subpoena the whistleblower complaint over White House objections and request a transcript of Mr. Trump’s call with Mr. Zelensky.
The New York Democrat also wants to identify any administration officials involved in holding up the Ukrainian aid money — it was released Sept. 12 — and force the Justice Department to offer a legal opinion on its reasons for withholding the whistleblower complaint.
“This is a whistleblower complaint that has been labeled ’urgent’ and ’credible’ not by Democrats, but by a senior-level Trump appointee,” Mr. Schumer wrote. “It is the Senate’s duty to take this national security matter seriously and to take action now.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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