House Impeachment Committee Says Trump Abused His Office

Democratic-led Intelligence Committee approves report alleging president engaged in misconduct, obstruction for personal gain.

A Democratic-controlled House committee approved a report accusing President Trump of soliciting foreign election interference and placing “his own personal and political interests above the national interests” by pushing Ukraine to announce an investigation into a 2020 political rival.

Mr. Trump and other officials pressured Kyiv to announce probes into Democrat Joe Biden and into a theory that Ukraine’s government interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections, even though a bipartisan Senate investigation found no evidence of any systematic effort by Ukraine to interfere. The House report alleged that Mr. Trump made the Ukrainian president’s request for a White House visit and military aid contingent on Ukraine’s announcement of those probes.

Mr. Trump has denied any wrongdoing or improper exchange of favors related to the investigations he sought. The Republican president has said that a July 25 phone call he had with Ukraine’s president in which he asked for the probes was “perfect.” That call was the event that sparked a whistleblower complaint that led to the inquiry.

The report, circulated hours before the Intelligence Committee approved it with a 13-9 vote along party lines, also alleged that Mr. Trump “engaged in categorical and unprecedented obstruction in order to cover up his misconduct.”

The report’s approval marked a significant step in the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. The matter was referred to the Judiciary Committee, which is overseen by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.) and is scheduled to hold its first hearing Wednesday.