The draft articles, spanning nine pages, accuse Mr. Trump of “corruptly soliciting” election assistance from the government of Ukraine in the form of investigations that would smear his Democratic political rivals. Details: Democrats say Mr. Trump used two “official acts” as leverage: $391 million in security assistance for Ukraine, and a White House meeting for its new president. The second article charges that Mr. Trump engaged in “unprecedented, categorical and indiscriminate defiance” by ordering officials not to comply with subpoenas for testimony and documents. If the House follows through next week, as expected, Mr. Trump could stand trial in the Senate early in the new year. It would take two-thirds of the Senate to convict Mr. Trump and remove him from office.

Source: International New York Times December 10, 2019 20:45 UTC