House Democrats are expected to unveil articles of impeachment against President TrumpDonald John TrumpLawmakers release defense bill with parental leave-for-Space-Force deal House Democrats expected to unveil articles of impeachment Tuesday Houston police chief excoriates McConnell, Cornyn and Cruz on gun violence MORE during a Tuesday morning press conference, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold NadlerJerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerGOP lawmaker criticizes Democratic counsel over facial expression: ‘Be very careful’ Watchdog report finds FBI not motivated by political bias in Trump probe Judiciary fireworks: GOP accuses Democratic counsel of impugning Trump’s motives MORE (D-N.Y.), Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffHouse Democrats expected to unveil articles of impeachment Tuesday Tempers flare at tense Judiciary hearing on impeachment Overnight Defense: Bombshell report reveals officials misled public over progress in Afghanistan | Amazon accuses Trump of ‘improper pressure’ in Pentagon contract decision | House Judiciary holds final impeachment hearing MORE (D-Calif.), and other relevant committee chairs are expected to make the announcement, the timing of which is a sign that Democrats plan to stay on track with their fast-charging goal of wrapping up the impeachment inquiry into Trump’s contacts with Ukraine ahead of the holiday season.
Two sources said Democrats are expected to introduce two articles of impeachment. One of the sources, a senior Democratic aide, said they will be obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. The aide noted, however, that Democrats have not fully closed the door on a third article.
Multiple sources also told The Hill they believe the markup of the articles will take place either Wednesday or Thursday, though they noted that the precise time has not been confirmed.
Rep. David CicillineDavid Nicola CicillineHouse Democrats expected to unveil articles of impeachment Tuesday Tempers flare at tense Judiciary hearing on impeachment Hillicon Valley: Amazon alleges Trump interfered in Pentagon contract to hurt Bezos | Federal council warns Trump of cyber threats to infrastructure | China to remove foreign technology from government offices MORE (D-R.I.) told reporters Monday evening that Democrats are “going to work through the night” to determine the exact articles they expect to introduce, though they have been heavily indicating the rough outlines of what they believe are impeachable offenses.
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Last week, Democrats heard from three constitutional scholars who said they believed Trump committed three impeachable offenses: Abuse of power and bribery, obstruction of justice, and obstruction of Congress.
Nadler was tight-lipped after leaving a meeting in Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiHouse Democrats expected to unveil articles of impeachment Tuesday Impeachment witness to meet with Senate GOP Tuesday Press: Pelosi strikes back, hatred is a sin MORE‘s (D-Calif.) office ahead of the gathering with members of his panel and declined to comment on how the articles of impeachment would take shape.
Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot EngelEliot Lance EngelHouse Democrats expected to unveil articles of impeachment Tuesday House approves two-state resolution in implicit rebuke of Trump House leaders: Trump administration asking South Korea to pay more for US troops ‘a needless wedge’ MORE (D-N.Y.) also declined to say what the announcement would be, but he assumed a more somber tone that suggested serious next steps.
“I think that a lot of us believe that what happened with Ukraine especially is not something that we can just close our eyes to,” Engel said as he left Pelosi’s office. “This is not a happy day.”
News that impeachment articles are imminent comes on the same day that Democrats and Republicans dueled over the propriety of Trump’s contacts with Kyiv.
Democrats allege that Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to commit to opening two investigations that would benefit him politically, including into 2020 political rival former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenGabbard says she won’t participate in next debate even if she qualifies House Democrats expected to unveil articles of impeachment Tuesday FBI head rejects claims of Ukrainian 2016 interference MORE. They also say the president withheld the promise of a White House meeting and nearly $400 million in U.S. aid as leverage, all while Trump officials repeated the requests in meetings with Zelensky representatives.
Scott Wong, Cristina Marcos and Mike Lillis contributed.