Page:Impeachment of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States — Report of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives.pdf/173

 investigate him for abuse of office except on his own terms.

c.Consistency with Previous Conduct

The Second Article of Impeachment impeaches President Trump for obstructing Congress with respect to the House impeachment inquiry relating to Ukraine. Yet, as noted in that Article, President Trump's obstruction of that investigation is "consistent with [his] previous efforts to undermine United States Government investigations into foreign interference in United States elections." An understanding of those previous efforts, and the pattern of misconduct they represent, sheds light on the particular conduct set forth in that Article as sufficient grounds for the impeachment of President Trump.

These previous efforts include, but are not limited to, President Trump's endeavor to impede the Special Counsel's investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 United States Presidential election, as well as President Trump's sustained efforts to obstruct the Special Counsel after learning that he was under investigation for obstruction of justice. There can be no serious doubt that the Special Counsel's investigation addressed an issue of extraordinary importance to our national security and democracy. As the Special Counsel concluded, "[t]he Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion." This assessment accords with the consensus view of the United States intelligence community.

Ultimately, although the Special Counsel "did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities," he did conclude that "the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts." Yet there is no indication in the Special Counsel's report that anyone from the Trump Campaign, including President Trump, reported to law enforcement any contacts or offers of foreign assistance. Instead, President Trump openly welcomed

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