New Delhi:
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the Department of State will do what is “required by law” in the impeachment proceedings against his boss and President Donald Trump. Pompeo, who is travelling in Greece, told reporters that he sent a letter in this regard to the Congress on Friday night which he said was the department’s initial response to the documents requested by a Congressional committee.
“We’ll obviously do all the things we’re required to do by law,” Pompeo said in response to a question.
“I was a member of Congress once; Article I has a certain set of powers, and Article II has an obligation to make sure that we protect officials at the State Department,” he added.
“And sadly, there have been congressional inquiries that have harassed and abused State Department employees by contacting them directly and seeking to have them provide documents ? documents that belong to the State Department, that are official US Government records ? and ask them to do so without ? saying, hey, don’t bother calling the State Department lawyers; just talk to us directly,” he said.
“That’s harassment, and I’ll never let that happen to my team,” he asserted.
Trump has denied that he’d done anything wrong in his relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, insisting that his only interest was “looking at corruption.” Trump has repeatedly claimed that Biden and his son were involved in corruption in Ukraine. “He is pillaging these countries,” Trump said.
However, Donald Trump is unlikely to face impeachment as the inquiry is unlikely to pass the Senate, where Republican Party has a clear majority.
Many Democrats have been calling for an impeachment inquiry into Trump even before the latest 'Ukraine' controversy. The row was sparked after reports surfaced saying that an intelligence whistleblower had lodged a formal complaint about a phone call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It is be alleged that during the conversation Trump threatened to withhold military aid to force Ukraine to investigate corruption allegations against former Vice-President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Biden is currently the front-runner in the race for Democratic nominee for 2020 Presidential Elections.
Trump has already acknowledged discussing Joe Biden with Zelensky but said he was only trying to get Europe to step up assistance by threatening to withhold military aid.
