Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, said President Trump “put his own personal and political interest above those of the nation,” in an opening statement kicking off the second week of public impeachment proceedings.
The California Democrat cited testimony on Tuesday provided in a closed-door proceeding Friday by David Holmes, who said he overheard a phone call between Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, and Trump.
“He cares more about the big stuff that benefits the president, like the Biden investigation,” Schiff said, quoting Holmes’s recounted conversation with Sondland.
Holmes will testify later this week. Sondland will testify on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s testimony features Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams, two top aides with knowledge of the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine and who have criticized the president.
They are two of nine witnesses who will testify this week.
Vindman, who is director for European affairs for the National Security Council, said he was alarmed that Trump was seeking Ukraine’s help investigating former Vice President Joe Biden over his actions to divert the prosecution of a Ukraine gas company that employed his son, Hunter Biden.
Williams called Trump’s efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Biden “unusual and inappropriate.”
House Democrats are poised to draft articles of impeachment against the president based on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Schiff said the witness testimony would provide lawmakers with the evidence they need to make that determination.
“It will be up to us to decide whether those acts are compatible with the office of the presidency,” Schiff said.
