LIVE Trump impeachment hearings & analysis: House Judiciary Committee takes over

WASHINGTON (WFLA) – What’s next in the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump?

The Judiciary Committee is holding its first public hearing on the impeachment inquiry Wednesday, featuring no material witnesses, but a panel of four constitutional law experts. Noah Feldman of Harvard University, Pamela S. Karlan of Stanford University, Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina and Jonathan Turley of George Washington University will explain the historical and constitutional basis of impeachment — and whether Trump’s actions justify removal.

They will likely be questioned specifically about Article Two, Section 4 of the Constitution, which states a president can be “removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Treason and bribery are well defined; high crimes and misdemeanors are less so.

The hearing will be the first impeachment inquiry hearing in the House Judiciary Committee since the passage of H. Res. 660, a resolution that lays out the process for this portion of the impeachment inquiry and extends certain privileges to the President, while the Committee considers whether to recommend articles of impeachment to the full House.

Join host J.B. Biunno and political reporter Evan Donovan beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET for a breakdown on the impeachment procedures and what you can expect in today’s public hearings.

Meanwhile, the House Intelligence Committee released a 300-page report on Tuesday outlining evidence against President Trump, stating that he placed his political interests above national interests in his conduct toward Ukraine. However, it stops short of recommending impeachment, saying Congress will have to make that decision.

House Democrats are expected to use the document as a basis for drafting articles of impeachment.

If that happens, it will be only the third time a president has been impeached in U.S. history.