While lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee each got to have their say during Wednesday’s impeachment inquiry hearings, counsel for both the Democrats and Republicans did much of the legal questioning.
After the dust settled, though, lead counsel for the Republicans Stephen Castor was pilloried by Democrats for inconsistent and sometimes bizarre lines of questioning during the first day of impeachment hearings.
As Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) put it in an interview with Cheddar, Castor was tasked with an impossible job.
“I wouldn’t put as much blame or fault on Mr. Castor,” Swalwell said. “You could resurrect Johnnie Cochran and put him on the Republican side, but the facts are the facts.”
“The President’s own words is the most powerful evidence we have,” Swalwell said.
At Wednesday’s widely-publicized hearing, Acting Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, revealed that he learned from a staffer last Friday that EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland had discussed “investigations” in a phone call with President Trump on July 26th. Taylor said that when he later asked Sondland about Trump’s thoughts on Ukraine, "Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for."
In her weekly press conference Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters that the testimony from Taylor and State Department official George Kent was “devastating” for the president, adding that it “corroborated evidence of bribery.”
“Is this who we are as a country?” Swalwell asked.
Meanwhile, Sondland is expected to appear before the House Intelligence Committee next Wednesday. Swalwell noted that the ambassador has already updated his closed-door testimony to “reflect what other witnesses had said” and called the “evolution” a “good thing.”
Before Sondland takes the witness stand, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch will testify publicly Friday. Yovanovitch was reportedly forced from her position earlier this year because she opposed the president’s Ukraine policy.
Following next week’s eight public testimonies, the House Intel Committee will compile a report, which it will send to the House Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee will deliberate on possible Articles of Impeachment. If articles are drawn up and approved by the full House, impeachment proceedings would move to the Senate which would be responsible for holding a, presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Christopher Wolfe, CIO at First Republic Private Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says he is surprised that the first quarter was the first down period in a long time, but adds that the second quarter could be difficult with a lot of volatility expected.
Jeffrey Small, President of Arbor Financial, joins Chedar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down why stocks closed near session lows on Wednesday and tells viewers what to expect ahead of next earnings season.
Uber and Lyft drivers are cruising in Washington State, the first U.S. state to set an earnings standard for drivers for the ride-hailing companies. Governor Jay Inslee signed the new minimum pay standard into law Thursday, which also gives drivers access to perks like paid sick time and family medical leave. John Logan, Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Jeremy Berke, senior reporter on the cannabis industry for Business Insider, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss developments in cannabis legalization at the federal level. He helps break down the bill and what legalization efforts might look like in the Senate.
Selene San Felice, Tampa Bay reporter for Axios Local, and Jennifer Levi, director of the Transgender Rights Project at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) join Cheddar Politics to discuss the impact of the new law targeting LGBTQ communities in Florida schools.
Ryan Barber, justice correspondent at Insider, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the latest developments in the January 6 investigation, including texts between Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Joel Rubin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and president of the Washington Strategy Group, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the latest developments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The head of Russia’s space program says the future of the ISS hangs in the balance after the U.S., EU, and Canadian space agencies missed a deadline to meet Russian demands for lifting sanctions on Russian enterprises and hardware.
President Joe Biden called for a war crimes trial against Russian President Vladimir Putin and said he’d seek more sanctions after reported atrocities in Ukraine.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 4, 2022, with reports of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, a weekend shooting in Sacramento killing six and injuring 12, Mexico ending its gas subsidization for U.S. drivers, and the University of South Carolina winning the women's NCAA basketball championship, and more.
