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 misleading statements to Congress. To justify impeaching President Clinton on that basis, the Committee reasoned as follows:

"In responding in such a manner, the President exhibited contempt for the constitutional prerogative of Congress to conduct an impeachment inquiry. The impeachment duty is a solemn one vested exclusively in the House of Representatives as a check and balance on the President and the Judiciary. The Committee reached the unfortunate conclusion that the President, by giving perjurious, false, and misleading answers under oath to the Committee's requests for admission, chose to take steps to thwart this serious constitutional process."

Ultimately, the House declined to approve this article. That decision, however, did not constitute a determination that obstruction of a House impeachment inquiry cannot be impeachable. Instead, it appears to reflect a judgment by the full House that President Clinton's conduct was not substantial, malicious, or obstructive enough to warrant an article of impeachment.

Applying these principles, a President commits "high Crimes and Misdemeanors" when he abuses his office to substantially obstruct House impeachment investigators on matters that it deems pertinent to its inquiry, and does so without lawful cause or excuse.

D.President Trump Has Committed "[H]igh Crimes and Misdemeanors"

1.President Trump Substantially Obstructed the Impeachment Inquiry

The evidentiary record bearing on President Trump's obstruction of the House impeachment inquiry is set forth in the Ukraine Report and incorporated by reference here. On the basis of that record, it is indisputable that President Trump substantially obstructed the House impeachment inquiry. The essential facts bearing on that judgment include the following:


 * From September through November 2019, the Investigating Committees served subpoenas on numerous Executive Branch agencies, offices, and officials. These subpoenas sought evidence and testimony regarding President Trump's efforts to solicit and pressure the Government of Ukraine to announce investigations into former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and a discredited conspiracy theory alleging Ukrainian interference in the 2016 United States Presidential election.