House Republicans storm secure room, demand access to impeachment inquiry proceedings

House Republicans on Wednesday stormed the secure room where lawmakers have been conducting the impeachment probe against President Trump, upending a scheduled deposition as they demanded fairness from the Democrats running the show.

The move enraged Democrats, who said as part of their protest the Republican lawmakers carried electronics into the secure area, creating a potential security lapse. They demanded the 30 or so Republican protesters face ethics charges.

GOP lawmakers brushed those complaints aside, saying the hearing they disrupted, involving Defense Department official Laura Cooper, was not classified, and saying Democrats have broken the rules of fairness by shutting them out of the impeachment process.

“House Democrats are bypassing constitutional norms and basic standards of due process with their impeachment obsession,” said Rep. Mark Walker, North Carolina Republican. “The president is not above justice. But, as you know, neither is he below it.”

Another Republican, Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona, was more direct.

“This is an outrage,” she said.

The Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump’s communications with Ukraine over former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, a political opponent, is not following any of the precedents for impeachment proceedings.