One day before the first public impeachment proceeding hearings, North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows attempted to discredit the witnesses House Democrats have called as part of their investigation into President Trump.
“The Democrats do not have a serious case,” Rep. Mark Meadows said on Tuesday. “This is a fantasy.”
William Taylor, Trump’s administration top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent are slated to testify before the House Intelligence Committee and Chairman Adam Schiff on Wednesday morning, the Washington Examiner reported.
Several State Department officials have already testified before the committee behind closed doors.
The two men are said to have some knowledge of instances in which President Trump abused his power.Last month, a whistle-blower came forward and claimed President Trump pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate corruption charges against Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
The whistle-blower alleged that aid was withheld from Ukraine and used as a bargaining chip in a “quid pro quo” to dig up political dirt on the Bidens.
Adam Schiff and other members of the Democratic leadership have said such an action demands President Trump’s removal from office.
Meadows and his allies on Capitol Hill have spent the past few weeks criticizing Adam Schiff and House Democrats for leading a “sham” impeachment process. Their focus has been on the fact that no witnesses called as part of the impeachment proceedings possesses firsthand knowledge of President Trump’s call with Ukraine.
No quid pro quo exists, they say, and the Dems are just seeking to reverse the result of the 2016 presidential election.
“Over and over we’ve seen a consistent theme through witness interviews, from the people who actually talked to [Donald Trump],” Mark Meadows said. “There was NO link between aid to Ukraine and political investigations.”
Trump said his call with Ukraine was “perfect” and House Democrats are leading “the biggest political witch hunt in American history.”
