Durbin calls for Trump impeachment inquiry

WASHINGTON — Triggered by the whistleblower’s complaint, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Tuesday called for a Trump impeachment inquiry, with the number two Democrat in the GOP controlled Senate taking a position for the first time.

Speaking from the Senate floor about President Donald Trump’s conversation with the Ukraine president about probing Joe Biden — and then in a series of tweets — Durbin said in his tweet, “Today, I am calling for the initiation of a formal impeachment inquiry by the House of Representatives of President Donald Trump.”

Biden, the former vice president, and presidential frontrunner, is expected later Tuesday to call for Trump’s impeachment if he does not cooperate with congressional inquires.

Meanwhile, in the House and Senate, support grows for proceedings that could lead to a Trump impeachment.

Durbin also said in a tweet, “The refusal of the President and Attorney General to release the whistleblower report as required by law has also convinced me that an impeachment inquiry is the only course we can follow under our Constitution to make certain the American people know the facts.

“Because the White House refuses to respond to Congressional subpoenas, I feel a formal impeachment inquiry is the only way to pursue this critical investigation, which I believe will ultimately be tested in the courts.

“His admission that he solicited negative info from the Pres. of Ukraine concerning his potential opponent, Joe Biden, while withholding $250M in US security aid for Ukraine is beneath the dignity of any President & by any reasonable legal standard merits an impeachment inquiry.”

ALSO ON TUESDAY:

REP. DAN LIPINSKI, D-ILL. said:

“If President Trump conducted a quid pro quo such as this it would be an impeachable offense. The whistleblower complaint deserves a full investigation.”

This is the first time Lipinski has mentioned impeachment.

REP. BRAD SCHNEIDER, D-ILL. said:

“The President must be held accountable, which is why I support initiating articles of impeachment to do so.”

In August, Schneider called for an impeachment inquiry.