On Friday, the White House released a summary of a transcript of a call by U.S. President Donald Trump in April congratulating the-newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, hours before the start of the second public hearing in the House accountability process aimed at impeaching Trump.
The focus of the investigation, led by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, is about another contact between Trump and Zelensky on July 25.
In a July call, Trump asked the Ukrainian president to offer him a "service" and to look into the actions of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
In the first call, Trump congratulated Zelensky on his election, and did not mention Biden nor corruption, but pointed out that he once hosted the Miss World pageant in Ukraine, according to the Associated Press.
Democrats are investigating whether Trump abused the powers of his office by withholding $ 391 million in security assistance to Ukraine as a means of pressuring it to conduct investigations into his favor.
Congress approved the money to help Ukraine fight Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country.
On Wednesday, the first public hearings began to bring accountability to the House of Representatives, while another key figure, former US ambassador to Kiev Mariovanovich, testifies on Friday.
If the House of Representatives agrees to make formal charges for Trump, then the Senate will hold a trial to determine whether he should be found guilty and removed from office.
Republicans who control the Senate have shown little support for Trump's removal.
By Catherine Warren November 15, 2019
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