Cameron Miranda
In 2019, a phone call between President Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky sparked a two-year-long investigation into whether Trump had abused his power to gain a competitive advantage over his election adversary, Joe Biden. The call was the catalyst for Trump's impeachment, with the Democrats arguing that Trump had solicited a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity, which is forbidden by campaign finance laws.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Abuse of power | Withholding money from Ukraine to solicit information that would benefit himself |
| Impeachable offence | Soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity |
| Criminal violation | A contribution of more than $2,000 |
| Civil violation | Any amount—monetary or otherwise |
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What You'll Learn
Abuse of power
Trump's phone call with Ukraine was the catalyst for the Democrats to begin the impeachment process. To be impeachable, a presidential action does not need to break a law, but in this case, Trump's actions might have.
Trump was accused of abusing his position to gain a competitive advantage over his adversary in the election. This would amount to soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity, which is forbidden by campaign finance laws. The American government had voted to give money to Ukraine, but Trump withheld it to solicit information that would benefit himself. This strengthens the argument of the abuse of power, adding another layer of misconduct.
Trump's actions could be seen as a criminal violation, as the contribution was more than $2,000. However, for it to be a civil violation, any amount—monetary or otherwise—would suffice. As Professor Martin Flaherty notes, "There are specific campaign laws which prohibit any US citizen, whether it be the president or otherwise, from receiving a benefit or a value from a foreign party."
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Soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity
In 2019, an investigation was launched into President Trump's dealings with Ukraine, specifically a phone call he made to the country. The investigation was attempting to distinguish what is an impeachable offence and what is against the law. To be impeachable, a presidential action does not need to break a law, but in this case, Trump's actions might have. If the investigation found that Trump abused his position to gain a competitive advantage over his adversary in the election, that would amount to soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity, which is forbidden by campaign finance laws.
The Constitution allows three reasons for Congress to impeach the president: treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanours. Trump's phone call to Ukraine was what finally spurred the Democrats to start the process of impeachment.
Trump's actions in withholding money from Ukraine to solicit information that would benefit himself strengthens the argument of the abuse of power, adding another layer of misconduct. However, it wouldn't break campaign finance laws. But it would still be problematic because it bypasses the lawful process to deal with such situations.
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Bribery
The Constitution allows three reasons for Congress to impeach the president: treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanours. In the case of the Ukraine phone call, Trump's actions might have broken the law. If the investigation found that Trump abused his position to gain a competitive advantage over his adversary in the election, this would amount to soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity. This is forbidden by campaign finance laws.
Trump withholding money from Ukraine to solicit information that would benefit himself strengthens the argument of the abuse of power, adding another layer of misconduct. This would not break campaign finance laws, but it would still be problematic because it bypasses the lawful process to deal with such situations.
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High crimes and misdemeanors
The phone call between Trump and Ukraine was the catalyst for the Democrats to begin the impeachment process. To be impeachable, a presidential action does not need to break a law, but in this case, Trump's actions may have.
Trump was accused of soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity, which is forbidden by campaign finance laws. The American government had voted to give money to Ukraine, but Trump withheld it to solicit information that would benefit himself, strengthening the argument of the abuse of power. If the investigation found that Trump abused his position to gain a competitive advantage over his adversary in the election, this would amount to soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity, which is illegal.
Trump's actions may also have constituted treason or bribery, which are also grounds for impeachment under the Constitution.
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Obstruction of justice
The phone call between President Trump and Ukraine is what spurred the Democrats to start the process of impeachment. To be impeachable, a presidential action does not need to break a law, but in this case, Trump's actions might have. If the investigation found that Trump abused his position to gain a competitive advantage over his adversary in the election, that would amount to soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity, which is forbidden by campaign finance laws.
Trump withholding money from Ukraine to solicit information that would benefit himself strengthens the argument of the abuse of power, adding another layer of misconduct. It wouldn't break campaign finance laws, but it would still be problematic because it bypasses the lawful process to deal with such situations.
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Frequently asked questions
To be impeachable, a presidential action does not need to break a law. However, in this case, Trump's actions might have. If the investigation found that Trump abused his position to gain a competitive advantage over his adversary in the election, that would amount to soliciting a valuable contribution to his campaign from a foreign entity, which is forbidden by campaign finance laws.
For it to be a criminal violation, a contribution needs to be more than $2,000.
For it to be a civil violation, any amount—monetary or otherwise—will do.
The Constitution allows three reasons for Congress to impeach the president: treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanors.
Treason is defined as "the crime of betraying one's country, especially by attempting to kill or overthrow the sovereign or government". It is unclear whether Trump's actions constitute treason.
