HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The Latest on Connecticut federal lawmakers seeking impeachment probe (all times local):
5 p.m.
Freshman U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes is now the latest member of Connecticut’s congressional delegation to call for an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.
In a statement Tuesday, the Democrat acknowledged she was “not quick to support impeachment,” waiting for the process to play out. But Hayes says she made up her mind to support a House probe after the Republican president’s administration refused to release a whistleblower complaint to the Congress.
It concerns multiple conversations Trump had with the new president of Ukraine, allegedly pressuring him to investigate the family of Democratic Vice President Joe Biden. Trump insists he did nothing wrong.
Hayes says the “thwarting of congressional authority at every turn” is “unconscionable” and a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution, giving her no other choice but to support an impeachment inquiry. Hayes represents the 5th District.
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4 p.m.
U.S. Reps. John Larson and Joe Courtney are the latest member of Connecticut’s congressional delegation to call for an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.
Both Democrats have avoided calling for a probe.
In a statement Tuesday, Courtney expressed concern the Republican administration won’t release the entire whistleblower complaint concerning multiple conversations Trump had with the new president of Ukraine, allegedly pressuring him to investigate the family of Democratic Vice President Joe Biden. Larson says it’s “Nixonian” that Trump won’t release the full report and worries future whistleblowers won’t come forward.
Trump has said he did nothing wrong.
Courtney says he’s “deeply troubled by the grave national security implications” of allowing a president to “abuse our checks and balances.” Larson says he’ll call for impeachment inquiry during the Democratic caucus.
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11:30 a.m.
Connecticut’s two Democratic U.S. senators are calling for a House select committee to begin an impeachment inquiry of Republican President Donald Trump.
Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal issued statements Tuesday, saying they now believe it’s necessary after Trump is said to have pushed the Ukrainian president to investigate former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden. Days before, Trump ordered aid to Ukraine frozen.
Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and denied any requests for help in procuring damaging information about Biden were tied to the aid freeze.
Murphy says the nation’s reputation will be harmed if Trump is allowed to “get away with trading our influence abroad” to “advance his political interests.”
He says a pending whistleblower complaint on the matter should be “presented to Congress in full.”
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