Democrats move ahead with subpoenas, Trump impeachment

House Democrats took ir first concrete steps in impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, issuing subpoenas demanding documents from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and scheduling legal depositions for or State Department officials. At end of a stormy week of revelation and recrimination, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi framed impeachment inquiry as a somber moment for a divided nation. "This is cause for any joy," she said on MSNBC. At White House, a senior ministration official confirmed Friday a key detail from unidentified CIA whistleblower who has accused Trump of abusing power of his office. Trump, for his part, insisted anew that his actions and words have been "perfect" and whistleblower's complaint might well be work of "a partisan operative."

White House ackwledges dubious Trump's call

White House ackwledged that a record of Trump phone call that is w at center of impeachment inquiry h been sealed away in a highly classified system at direction of Trump's National Security Council lawyers. Separately, Trump viser Kellyanne Conway told reporters that whistleblower "has protection under law," something Trump himself h appeared to question earlier in day. He suggested n that his accuser "isn't a whistleblower at all." Still at issue is why rough transcript of Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine's president was put on "lock down," in words of whistleblower.

CIA officer said that diverting record in an unusual way was evidence that "White House officials understood gravity of what h transpired" in conversation. whistleblower complaint alleges that Trump used his office to "solicit interference from a foreign country" to help himself in next year's U.S. election. In phone call, days after ordering a freeze to some military assistance for Ukraine, Trump prodded new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to dig for potentially damaging material on Democratic rival Joe Biden and volunteered assistance of both his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and U.S. Attorney General William Barr. Pelosi refused to set a deline for probe but promised to act "expeditiously." House intelligence committee could draw members back to Washington next week.

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Pelosi said she was praying for president, ding, "I would say to Democrats and Republicans: We have to put country before party." At White House, it was a senior ministration official who ackwledged that rough transcript of Trump's conversation with Ukraine's Zelenskiy h been moved to a highly classified system maintained by National Security Council. official was granted anymity Friday to discuss sensitive matters. White House attorneys h been me aware of concerns about Trump's comments on call even before whistleblower sent his allegations to intelligence community's inspector general.

Those allegations, me in mid-August, were released Thursday under heavy pressure from House Democrats. One former official said memos of Trump calls with foreign leers h to be severely restricted after leaks in 2017. Calls with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russia's Vlimir Putin were among those whose distribution were kept to a minimum. official cautioned that ministrations discuss sensitive matters with both nations, and that treatment shouldn't imply anything untoward on call. Even some calls with US allies are also restricted due to discussions of classified topics. person spoke on condition of anymity to describe process.

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Trump's attack on whistleblower

On Ukraine matter, Trump was keeping up his full-bore attack on whistleblower and unnamed "White House officials" cited in complaint, drawing a warning from Pelosi against retaliation. Late Thursday, Trump deunced people who might have talked to whistleblower as "close to a spy" and suggested y engd in treason, an act punishable by death. n on Friday, he said person was "sounding more and more like so-called Whistleblower isn't a Whistleblower at all." He also alleged without evidence that information in complaint has been "proved to be so inaccurate."

Pelosi told MSNBC, "I'm concerned about some of president's comments about whistleblower." She said House panels conducting impeachment probe will make sure re's retaliation against people who provided information in case. On Thursday, House Democratic chairmen called Trump's comments "witness intimidation" and suggested efforts by him to interfere with potential witness could be unlawful. Trump's Friday comment questioning whistleblower's status seemed to foreshow a possible effort to argue that legal protection laws don't apply to person, opening a new front in president's defense, but Conway's statement seemed to make that less likely.

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Whistleblower's complaint credible

intelligence community's inspector general found whistleblower's complaint "credible" despite finding indications of person's support for a different political candidate. Legal experts said that by following proper procedures and filing a complaint with government rar than disclosing information to media, person is without question regarded as a whistleblower entitled to protections against being fired or criminally prosecuted. "This person clearly followed exact path he was supposed to follow," said Debra D'Agosti, a lawyer who represents whistleblowers. "re is basis for t calling this person a whistleblower." Lawyers say it also doesn't matter for purposes of being treated as a whistleblower if all of allegations are borne out as entirely true, or even if political motives or partisanship did factor into decision to come forward.

Giuliani, alrey in spotlight, was scheduled to appear at a Kremlin-backed conference in Armenia on Tuesday, but he said Friday he would t be attending. nda showed him speaking at a session on digital financial techlogies. Russian President Vlimir Putin also was scheduled to participate in conference. Republicans were straining under uncertainty of being swept up in most serious test yet of ir alliance with Trump White House. "We owe people to take it seriously," said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a onetime Trump rival who is w a member of intelligence committee. "Right w, I have more questions than answers," he said. " complaint raises serious allegations, and we need to determine wher y're credible or t."

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Swift resolution to impeachment unlikely

A swift resolution to impeachment inquiry may t be easy. intelligence committee is diving in just as lawmakers leave Washington for a two-week recess, with panel expected to work while away. One person familiar with committee's schedule said that members might return at end of next week. Findings will eventually need to be turned over to Rep. Jerrold Nler's Judiciary Committee, which is compiling work of five or panels into what is expected to be articles of impeachment. panel will need to find consensus.

Meanwhile, Trump's reelection campaign took to accusing Democrats of trying to "steal" 2020 election in a new airing in a $10 million television and digital buy next week. also attacks Democrat Biden, highlighting his efforts as vice president to make U.S. aid to Ukraine contingent on that country firing a prosecutor believed to be corrupt. claims that fired prosecutor was investigating former vice president's son. In fact, prosecutor h failed to pursue any major anti-corruption investigations, leaving Ukraine's international dors deeply frustrated. In pressing for prosecutor's ouster, Biden was representing official position of U.S. government, which was shared by or Western allies and many in Ukraine.