Democrats unveil articles of impeachment against Trump

House Democrats on Tuesday said they would bring two articles of impeachment against President Trump, setting up just the third vote to impeach a U.S. president in history.

"Today, in the service to our duty to the Constitution and to our country, the House Judiciary Committee is introducing two articles of impeachment, charging the president of the United States of committing high crimes and misdemeanors," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said before introducing the first article.

The charges brought by Democrats are that Trump abused the power of his office and that he obstructed Congress in the impeachment inquiry.
"It is an impeachable offense for a president to use the powers of his office to seek a personal benefit," Nadler sad, pointing to Trump's actions in Ukraine.

Both of the charges are related to the unfolding controversy surrounding Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine's government to conduct an investigation of one of Trump's political rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden.

Democrats allege that Trump withheld security aid to Ukraine and refused to meet with Ukraine's president unless that country opened an investigation in Biden and his son Hunter, who worked on the board of the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings.

Republicans say Democrats have failed to provide the evidence to back up their case. They also say Democrats are seeking to remove a president they cannot defeat at the ballot box.

Democrats are not bringing articles of impeachment related to the long investigation by former special counsel Robert Mueller. They also did not bring charges related to other alleged crimes committed by Trump, despite some discussion within the caucus.