Trump notoriously dissed Marie Yovanovitch via Twitter during her Congressional testimony about the "smear campaign" that the president's allies successfully used to oust her as ambassador to Ukraine. Some excerpts from the Daily Beast account...

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the point person for the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump, stopped a line of questioning to ask Yovanovitch what the effect would be on her and future impeachment witnesses. "I can't speak to what the president’s trying to do," said Yovanovitch, "but I think the effect is to be intimidating."...

[I]n May 2019, the State Department recalled Yovanovitch, a move that shocked U.S. diplomats. Career department officials summoned her home so she would not suffer the indignity of being fired by a Trump tweet. The fateful call from the State Department came, testified Yovanovitch, on the night she was hosting an event honoring a Ukrainian anti-corruption activist who was killed in an acid attack...

"Perhaps it was not surprising that when our anti-corruption efforts got in the way of a desire for profit or power, Ukrainians who preferred to play by the old, corrupt rules sought to remove me," Yovanovitch said Friday. "What continues to amaze me is that they found Americans willing to partner with them and, working together, they apparently succeeded in orchestrating the removal of a U.S. ambassador. How could our system fail like this? How is it that foreign corrupt interests could manipulate our government?"

After hours of short speeches, the US House of Representatives voted Dec. 18 evening to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of justice.

The historic vote followed party lines with Republicans voting against impeachment and only one independent voting for it. Two Democrats, Representatives Collin Peterson and Jeff Van Drew, opposed the first article on abuse of power, leaving a final vote 230 to 197. On the second Article, for obstruction of justice, the final vote was 229 to 198 with another Democrat, Representative Jared Golden, joining those opposed to impeachment.

Democratic presidential candidate, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, voted present on both articles. In a statement, Gabbard expressed support for continuing the impeachment inquiry but maintained concerns about "further divid[ing] our already badly divided country."

In response to the impeachment process, Trump sent a six-page letter on Dec. 17 to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. In his letter, he called the impeachment "an unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power," that was nothing more than an "illegal, partisan coup."

This vote triggers a trial in the Senate, which will be overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts. It is expected that the trial will begin in January. (Jurist)

From NPR, Dec. 19:

Halfway across the world from Washington, D.C., where President Trump on Wednesday became just the third president in U.S. history to be impeached, Trump's counterpart in the Kremlin made clear that he has the American president's back.

During his annual marathon news conference in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the charges against Trump as "completely made up."

"The Democratic party, which lost the elections, is now trying to revise this history through the means that they have at their disposal — first by accusing Trump of collusion with Russia. But then it turned out there was no collusion," Putin said Thursday during the hours-long event, echoing the arguments put forth by Trump and his Republican colleagues in Congress. "It could not form the basis for impeachment, and now there is this made-up pressure on Ukraine."

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO), the agency tasked with auditing the federal government and the legality of its activities, found Jan. 16 that the freeze on military aid to Ukraine that has been at the center of impeachment proceedings into President Trump was unlawful. The agency's analysis determined that when the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) withheld funds that had been apportioned by Congress, it violated the 1974 Impoundment Control Act.

"Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law. OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). The withholding was not a programmatic delay. Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA," the decision states. "The Constitution grants the President no unilateral authority to withhold funds from obligation."

The decision comes on the same day that the Senate begins trial proceedings in the impeachment of Trump. Charges of Trump's abuse of power include accusations that he ordered the freeze on military aid to Ukraine, and withheld a meeting with the Ukrainian president, while seeking to get the Ukrainians to take public steps that would benefit his re-election. The Trump administration has asserted that nothing about the way they delayed the funds was untoward, and report may create new challenges for Trump's defenders.

A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget responded to the GAO report and disputed its findings. (Jurist)

The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump ended with an acquittal for both articles of impeachment. The Senate has fallen short of the necessary two-thirds vote required to convict and remove Trump from office, with the final vote being. 48-52 on abuse of power, and 47-53 on obstruction. The change in votes between the impeachment articles came from Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. Because of this, Romney has become the first senator in history to vote to convict a president of his own party in the impeachment process, voting Trump guilty for abuse of power.

Trump tweeted a video shortly after the conclusion of the trial, expressing his satisfaction with the ultimate result. (Jurist)

Within hours of each other, the White House removed two of the most crucial witnesses against Trump in the investigation that led to his impeachment for abuse of power. Late today, news emerged that Trump had ordered the recall of Gordon Sondland, the US Ambassador to the European Union—"effective immediately," the ambassador noted in a statement. Hours earlier, the White House escorted out Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine policy officer on the National Security Counsel—along with his twin brother Yevgeny, who was not an impeachment witness. (Politico)

US intelligence agencies warned the White House last year that Trump's personal lawyer Rudolph Giuliani was the target of an "influence operation" by Russian intelligence, according to four former officials who spoke anonymously to the Washington Post. The warnings were based on multiple sources, including intercepted communications, that showed Giuliani was interacting with people tied to Russian intelligence during a December 2019 trip to Ukraine, where he was gathering information that he hoped would expose corruption by Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

In Des Moines on Oct. 14, Trump meanwhile cited "explosive documents" published that day by the New York Post to revive his widely discredited claim that Biden "went to Ukraine and threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid if they did not fire the prosecutor that was investigating his son and the company that his son worked for." As FactCheck.org has written, there's no evidence Hunter Biden was being investigated. The NY Post account was based on a leak of emails turned over to the newspaper by Giuliani.

Glenn Greenwald has left The Intercept, the mouthpiece he founded, after an editorial spat—and promptly went on Fox's Tucker Carlson to complain that "the left is in bed with a CIA set on destroying Trump." So.... 1. demonization of the "left"; 2. echoing Trump's propaganda device of "deep state" subversion; and 3. assuming that "destroying Trump" is a bad thing. A perfect trifecta of Trumpian fascist bullshit. 

In an announcement and explanation of his resignation on his new platform, Substack, Greenwald cites The Intercept's "brute censorship" of his most recent article—"about the Hunter Biden materials and Joe Biden’s conduct regarding Ukraine and China, as well my critique of the media’s rank-closing attempt, in a deeply unholy union with Silicon Valley and the 'intelligence community,' to suppress its revelations." In other words, more "deep state" bullshit.

The Intercept, in an editorial statement in reply to Greenwald's gripe, states: "While he accuses us of political bias, it was he who was attempting to recycle the dubious claims of a political campaign—the Trump campaign—and launder them as journalism."

Greenwald, a right-libertarian mistaken by many as a progressive, has been increasingly flirting with Trumpism over the past four years. He's now gone full Trump, and seems to be moving from right-libertarianism to plain old fascism.

Ukrainian officials imposed sanctions against Andriy Derkach, a former member of the country's Parliament who was accused by the US of being a Russian agent and interfering in the 2020 US presidential election.

During a briefing, secretary of the security and defense council, Oleksy Danilov, stated that Ukraine was sanctioning Derkach along with members of the Russian military and judiciary.

Derkach was previously sanctioned by the US after evidence arose linking him to a "covert influence campaign centered on cultivating false and unsubstantiated narratives" targeting US officials and politicians. Derkach was also linked to an effort by Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to find compromising evidence on Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son. (Jurist)

The US Attorney for the District of Delaware charged Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, on June 20 with tax and firearm offenses.

Biden faces two charges under 26 U.S.C. § 7203, which criminalizes willfully failing to file a tax return, supply tax information or pay taxes. The firearm charge stems from a period of time in October 2018 where Biden allegedly knowingly possessed a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance.

Biden plans to plead guilty to both misdemeanor tax charges, and enter a pretrial diversion agreement on the firearm charge. (Jurist)

In a hearing July 26, a federal judge in Delaware rejected a plea deal by Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden. After a three-hour proceeding in which US District Judge Maryellen Noreika cited constitutionality concerns with the plea, Biden pleaded not guilty to three tax and firearms offenses charges. (Jurist)

US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Aug. 11 that he will appoint a special counsel to oversee the ongoing criminal case against President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden. Garland stated that David Weiss would be taking over the case United States v. Robert Hunter Biden and any related investigations or cases as a special counsel. Weiss has been involved in investigations related to Biden's case since 2019 in his previous capacity as US attorney for the District of Delaware. (Jurist)

US Justice Department Special Counsel David Weiss revealed on Spet. 14 that a federal grand jury indicted President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden on three firearms charges. The charges come almost two months after a federal district judge rejected a plea deal in which Hunter Biden would have avoided federal gun charges in exchange for a guilty plea to two misdemeanor tax charges. (Jurist)

Hunter Biden sued Rudy Giuliani on Sept. 26, alleging violations of federal and California law. Biden claims Giuliani acquired his computer data illegally from John Paul Mac Issac, an owner of a Delaware computer repair shop. Mac Issac allegedly and mailed Giuliani and attorney Robert J. Costello copies he made of Biden's hard drive. Biden's complaint alleges that Giuliani and Costello accessed his emails, photographs, bank statements, and other financial documents.

Most of the evidence against the defendants come from their own statements to the media. Costello boasted about going through Biden's laptop to New York Magazine. Giuliani bragged that he accessed data from Biden's laptop on at least three podcasts. 

The complaint alleges violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 USC 1030) which prohibits "intentionally accessing a computer without authorized access." Biden also claims violations of California Penal Code §502, which prohibits knowingly accessing another's information to execute any scheme to "defraud, deceive, or extort." Biden requests a jury trial and seeks both general and punitive damages. (Jurist)

A federal grand jury in California indicted Hunter Biden Dec. 7 on nine new federal criminal tax charges. The new charges join the two previous charges filed against him in a federal court in Delaware. Biden now faces 11 charges in total—three felonies and eight misdemeanors. (Jurist)

The US House of Representatives voted Dec. 13 to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The vote passed along party lines, with all 221 Republican lawmakers voting in favor of the resolution and 212 Democratic lawmakers voting against. Then Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) opened an impeachment inquiry into Biden in September but never formalized the process with a vote of the whole House. (Jurist)

The former FBI informant charged with lying about the Bidens' dealings in Ukraine told investigators after his arrest that Russian intelligence officials were involved in passing information to him about Hunter Biden, prosecutors said Feb. 20 in a new court filing, noting that the information was false.

Prosecutors also said Alexander Smirnov has been "actively peddling new lies that could impact US elections" after meeting with Russian spies late last year. (CNN) 

Smirnov was charged Feb. 15 for falsifying reports that President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, each received $5 million in bribes from a Ukrainian energy company. According to the indictment, Smirnov reported to an FBI agent in March 2017 that he had been in contact with the owner of the Ukrainian company, Burisma Holdings Ltd. 

Smirnov also informed the agent that President Biden and Hunter Biden—identified as "Public Official 1" and "Businessperson 1" were members of the company's board.

Three years later, in June 2020, Smirnov created a false record to the FBI Agent that executives of the Ukrainian company had told him that "Public Official 1" and "Businessperson 1" were paid $5 million by the company to protect them during a criminal investigation.

Smirnov has been charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 1001 for making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record and 18 U.S.C. § 1519, for falsifying records during a federal investigation. (Jurist)

A federal jury in Delaware on June 11 found Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, guilty of lying about his drug use while purchasing a firearm.

The younger Biden was found guilty of three felonies: making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. §922(a)(6) and 924(a)(2), making a false statement with respect to information to be kept in records under §924(a)(1)(A), and possession of firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance under §922(g)(3) and §924(a)(2). (Jurist)

Hunter Biden filed documents June 24 seeking a new trial after his conviction on three felonies on June 11. He argued that the decision should be vacated since the trial began before an appeal for an earlier motion was concluded. Biden also claimed that one of the laws he was prosecuted under, §922(g)(3), is unconstitutional and that the court should order an acquittal. (Jurist)

Hunter Biden pleaded guilty Sept. 5 to federal tax charges in a surprise move just before jury selection was set to begin in his Los Angeles trial. Biden, 54, admitted to failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions on what prosecutors called an "extravagant lifestyle," which, the indictment alleged, included escorts, luxury hotels and drugs. (Jurist)

As his term draws to a close, President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon Dec. 1 for his son Hunter Biden, covering multiple federal criminal charges including tax evasion and firearms violations. (Jurist)