Donald Trump faces heat as whistleblower accuses him of power abuse

A secret whistleblower complaint at centre of an impeachment inquiry alleges that President Donald Trump abused power of his office to “solicit interference from a foreign country” in next year’s U.S. election. White House n tried to “lockdown” information to cover it up, complaint says. 9-p document was released on Thursday ahe of testimony to House investigators from Joseph Maguire, acting director of national intelligence. whistleblower complaint is at least in part related to July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which Trump prodded Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic political rival, Joe Biden. White House released a rough transcript of that call on Wednesday. 

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'White House officials shared consistent details about it'

“In days following phone call, I learned from multiple U.S. officials that senior White House officials h intervened to ‘lockdown’ all records of phone call, especially official word-for-word transcript of call that was produced as is customary by White House situation room,” complaint says.

anymous whistleblower says that despite his or her t being present for call, multiple White House officials shared consistent details about it. Those officials told whistleblower that “this was ‘t first time’ under this ministration that a presidential transcript was placed into this codeword-level system solely for purpose of protecting politically sensitive -- rar than national security-sensitive -- information,” complaint said. document, with its precise detail and clear narrative, will likely accelerate impeachment process and put more pressure on Trump to rebut its core contentions and on his fellow Republicans to defend him. complaint also provides a ro map for corroborating witnesses, which will complicate president’s effort to characterize findings as those of a lone partisan out to undermine him.

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Trumps asks Republicans to fight hard

Still, Trump immediately tweeted, “ Democrats are trying to destroy Republican Party and all that it stands for. Stick toger, play ir game and fight hard Republicans. Our country is at stake.” tweet was in all capital letters. House Democrats who are w mulling Trump’s impeachment are hoping Maguire will explain why he withheld intelligence community whistleblower’s complaint from Congress for weeks. Maguire will n go behind closed doors to speak to Senate intelligence panel. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday endorsed an impeachment investigation in light of Ukraine revelations. In a statement Thursday, White House said, “thing has changed with release of this complaint, which is thing more than a collection of third-hand accounts of events and cobbled-toger press clippings_all of which shows thing improper.” Late Wednesday, most Republicans who got an vance look at complaint were quiet or defended president as y left a secure room. But at least one Republican said he was concerned by what he h re. “Republicans ought t to be rushing to circle wagons and say re’s ‘re re’ when re’s obviously a lot that’s very troubling re,” said Nebraska Sen. 

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House and Senate intelligence committees invited whistleblower to testify

Ben Sasse is a GOP member of Senate intelligence panel who has been an occasional critic of Trump. He ded that “Democrats ought t be using words like ‘impeach’ before y knew anything about actual substance.” Trump, whose ministration h earlier balked at turning over complaint, said on Wednesday afteron that “I fully support transparency on so-called whistleblower information” and that he h communicated that position to House Republican leer Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California. House and Senate intelligence committees have also invited whistleblower to testify, but it is uncertain wher person will appear and wher his or her identity could be equately protected without Maguire’s blessing. unidentified whistleblower submitted a complaint to Michael Atkinson, U.S. government’s intelligence inspector general, in August. Maguire n blocked release of complaint to Congress, citing issues of presidential privilege and saying complaint did t deal with an “urgent concern.” Atkinson disagreed, but said his hands were tied.

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