The Story:
President Donald Trump has acknowledged that, in a conversation with the President of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Selenskiy, in July, he asked Selenskiy about former Vice President Joseph Biden and about his son Hunter, who has business interests in Ukraine. The acknowledgement has fueled demands for more information about that conversation and has racketed up expectations of an impeachment move in the House of Representatives.
Why It Matters:
Bribery is quite explicitly listed in the US Constitution as a grounds for the impeachment of a President of the United States.
Trump has said that earlier this year he withheld nearly $400 million in aid to the Ukraine.
The Thing to Know:
It has been suggested that there was at least an implicit quid-pro-quo here: Trump might have been suggesting that he would allow the $400 million to go through to the Ukraine if Zelenskiy would help him undermine a likely Democratic Party nominee for President by way of an investigation into the Bidens, father and son. Such a deal would seem to meet the meaning of the word “bribery.”
Accordingly, on September 25, 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry that will involve several House Committees.
