First Impeachment: Ukraine Extortion
Trump withheld $400 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to pressure President Zelensky into announcing investigations into political rival Joe Biden. The GAO concluded Trump broke federal law.
In a July 25, 2019 phone call, Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce investigations into Joe Biden and his son — a political rival in the upcoming 2020 election. Trump withheld $400 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine as leverage.
A whistleblower within the intelligence community reported the call. When the White House released a rough transcript, it confirmed Trump had told Zelensky: "I would like you to do us a favor, though" — immediately after Zelensky raised the topic of military assistance.
Key findings during the impeachment inquiry:
- Trump's own ambassador, Bill Taylor, testified the aid was conditioned on Biden investigations
- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded Trump violated federal law (the Impoundment Control Act) by withholding the aid
- Multiple career diplomats and National Security Council staff corroborated the quid pro quo
- Trump blocked witnesses and documents from being provided to Congress
On December 18, 2019, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He was acquitted by the Senate in February 2020 on a largely party-line vote, with only Senator Mitt Romney crossing party lines to vote for conviction.