WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th October, 2019) The US House Intelligence Committee has issued a subpoena to compel Energy Secretary Rick Perry to hand over documents related to their impeachment inquiry, Congressmen Adam Schiff, Eliot Engel and Elijah Cummings said in a letter published on Thursday.
"The enclosed subpoena demands documents that are necessary for the Committees to examine this sequence of these events and the reasons behind the White House's decision to withhold critical military assistance to Ukraine that was appropriated by Congress to counter Russian aggression," the letter addressed to Perry said.
The lawmakers are concerned by reports indicating Perry may have had a role in the Trump administration's controversial dealings with the Ukrainian government including President Donald Trump pressing Kiev to probe the business interests of Joe Biden's son, Hunter.
On September 24, House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry into Trump's July 25 telephone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which the request was made. The inquiry was initiated after a whistleblower sent a complaint to Congress, saying that Trump threatened to withdraw military aid to Ukraine if Kiev failed to probe the Bidens.
Democrats have argued that the alleged quid pro quo and Trump soliciting a foreign power to investigate a political rival violate US laws. However, Trump denied the allegations as another attempt at a political witch hunt to reverse the outcome of the 2016 US presidential election, and published the transcript of the telephone call with Zelenskyy.
