Another Week of ‘Star Chamber’ Impeachment Hearings Begins

Nov. 4, 2019 (EIRNS)—At the start of yet another week of their secret hearings, Rep. Adam Shifty Schiff and crew today released the first two transcripts of “depositions” taken in their weeks of secret basement impeachment hearings, starting with those of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch and former senior advisor to the Secretary of State, Ambassador Michael McKinley. Their statement upon releasing them is brazen: There is nothing there.

“The interviews with Ambassadors Yovanovitch and McKinley demonstrate clearlyhow President Trump approved the removal of a highly respected and effective diplomat based on public falsehoods and smears against Ambassador Yovanovitch’s character and her work in support of long-held U.S. foreign policy anti-corruption goals,” they wrote. “Ambassadors Yovanovitch and McKinley’s testimony also demonstrates the contamination of U.S. foreign policy by an irregular back channel that sought to advance the President’s personal and political interests, and the serious concerns that this activity elicited across our government,” they wrote.

In other words, the President exercised his presidential powers in a way they don’t like.

As for this week’s 11 witnesses: the four administration officials scheduled to testify today (two subpoenaed, two “requested”) refused to show up. Energy Secretary Rick Perry has been scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 6, but the Department spokeswoman already said last Friday, Nov. 1, that he will not appear for a closed-door hearing. John Bolton is scheduled to testify on Nov. 7, but his lawyer says he will not appear without a subpoena.

President Donald Trump is not yielding on the Ukraine nothingburger. He tweeted yesterday that “False stories are being reported that a few Republican Senators are saying that President Trump may have done a quid pro quo, but it doesn’t matter, there is nothing wrong with that, it is not an impeachable event. Perhaps so, but read the transcript, there is no quid pro quo!”