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Impeachment Inquiry: Public Hearings Day 1

The rapidly escalating investigation is just the fourth time in U.S. history that Congress has seriously considered impeaching a president.

WASHINGTON — Wednesday was first day of the House Intelligence Committee will kick off the first public hearings of the impeachment investigation.  




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  • The House Intelligence Committee will kick off the first public hearings of the impeachment probe, with two key diplomatic officials set to appear at 10 a.m. 
  • The inquiry was sparked by a whistleblower's complaint about President Trump's July 25 call with the president of Ukraine, in which Mr. Trump urged him to investigate a company that had employed Joe Biden's son.
  • Officials have since testified behind closed doors about an apparent effort to pressure Ukraine to announce investigations, using a White House visit and military aid as leverage.

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Washington -- The House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry is set to burst into public view on Wednesday, as two key witnesses who raised concerns about efforts to pressure Ukraine will testify in the first open hearings of the probe.

Bill Taylor, the top diplomat in the U.S. embassy in Ukraine, and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, will appear before the House Intelligence Committee to face questions from lawmakers and committee staff.

Both have already testified behind closed doors, and told members about they became increasingly alarmed that a delay in military aid to Ukraine was tied to the country launching investigations that would benefit the president politically.

Taylor, the chargé d'affaires at the embassy in Kiev, told the committees leading the probe that he came to realize "that one of the key pillars of our strong support for Ukraine was threatened" by an "irregular policy channel" consisting of Rudy Giuliani and several U.S. diplomats.

Kent has testified about an effort by Giuliani and others to oust the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, based on what he called a "fake news driven smear out of Ukraine" and a "classic disinformation operation." Yovanovitch was recalled from her post three months early, and will testify before the Intelligence Committee on Friday.

The rapidly escalating investigation is just the fourth time in U.S. history that Congress has seriously considered impeaching a president. Wednesday's hearing is set to get underway at 10 a.m. ET.

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