Washington – Moments after the House Judiciary Committee recessed so that members could cast their votes over in the capitol, Florida Rep. Val Demings (D) spoke to reporters, telling them that she believed that the evidence was “pretty overwhelming” that President Donald Trump committed an impeachable offense during the now-infamous phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
When asked it House Democrats were actually going to write up that Articles of Impeachment against Trump, Demings stated,” I certainly believe we are going to mark up articles.
Rep. Demings appeared taken back a bit when one reporter asked her if she believed the impeachment inquiry process was moving too fast.
“As a former law enforcement officer I looked for the elements of a crime or wrongdoing, and took actions,” said Demings “When there is evidence of wrongdoing, you take action, and I took action.
Demings then went on to give her definition of the term “bribery” as it pertained to President Trump.
“I think that when we talk about definitions, this is what we all have to remember, that any effort to coerce someone into giving something of value for corrupt purposes is bribery.”
Demings continued making the case for impeachment, accusing Trump of coercing the Ukrainian president “into interfering, investigating” the president’s political opponents.
"When we look at what the President of the United States did, he used the authority of his office, the power that comes along with his office, to force a newly-elected, young, promising president, who has a pretty aggressive initiative against corruption, and it looks like the real introduction President Zelensky had to corruption was through our president. But to coerce that president into interfering, investigating the president’s political opponent, which is something of value, I think we are there."
Republicans rebuked Demings and other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, pointing to the actual transcript of the phone call between the two presidents, claiming that the transcript clearly showed that President Zelensky wasn’t coerced.
President Zelensky has already stated that he did not feel pressured on the phone call, in any way.
Here is a screen capture of the actual declassified text in question from the phone call. You be the judge.
