Doyle Calls for Immediate Impeachment Inquiry into Ukraine Allegations

Statement

U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-18) released the following statement today regarding allegations that President Trump misused the powers of his office to compel a foreign government to take action that would benefit him politically.

"The allegations in the reports that I have seen are mind-boggling. That the President of the United States would withhold Congressionally directed funds to an ally in need, in order to compel it to smear a political rival, seems to amount to blatant extortion for personal political gain.

"It is essential that Congress receive the whistle-blower complaint and evaluate its credibility. If there is evidence that the President has broken the law while conducting foreign affairs, Congress has the obligation to investigate the alleged wrongdoing -- and the Administration has no right to withhold the whistle-blower's report from Congress.

"Several months ago, I called for an impeachment inquiry of President Trump to begin immediately, and I have been frustrated and angry that the Trump Administration has stonewalled Congress and refused to comply with valid subpoenas as we have exercised our Constitutional oversight responsibilities.

"I believe that the recent allegations only add to the urgency of a full and immediate impeachment inquiry -- and that Congress must use all of the powers granted it by the Constitution to carry out its oversight responsibilities and get the facts. If the latest allegations are accurate, that would be a gross misuse of the powers of his office on a number of levels and, in my opinion, an impeachable offense."

The Washington Post reported several days ago that "Trump's interaction with the foreign leader included a "promise" that was regarded as so troubling that it prompted an official in the U.S. intelligence community to file a formal whistleblower complaint with the inspector general for the intelligence community…. Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson determined that the complaint was credible and troubling enough to be considered a matter of "urgent concern," a legal threshold that requires notification of congressional oversight committees."

However, Atkinson's request to send the complaint to Congress, as required by law, was denied.

The Washington Post subsequently reported that "Atkinson made clear that he disagreed with a lawyer for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, who had contradicted the inspector general and found that the whistleblower complaint did not meet the statutory definition of an urgent concern because it involved a matter not under the DNI's jurisdiction.

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