Rick Wilson: Strap in for a Wild Week as the Impeachment Inquiry Goes Public [View all]

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https://gen.medium.com/strap-in-for-a-wild-week-as-the-impeachment-inquiry-goes-public-79a88ec1ff7f

Strap in for a Wild Week as the Impeachment Inquiry Goes Public
With two days of public hearings in the House, the American public will finally get a full view of Trump’s corruption
Rick Wilson


The impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump’s corrupt Ukraine extortion conspiracy begins this week, and it’s going to be one hell of a show.

Washington is girding its loins for a big, ugly fight that presages an even bigger and uglier fight to come. After more than a month of investigations and closed-door depositions produced damning new information, the House impeachment inquiry will feature live testimony on Wednesday and Friday.

We’re in a whole new ballgame.

There have been few tectonic moments where the constitutional boundaries, powers, and limits of the branches of our government are tested, but we’re in one now. The future of the Trump presidency, the balance of powers, and the rule of law all hang in the balance.

How this week of spectacle turns out depends on the answers to eight key questions:

What happens when Americans know more about Ukraine?

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Will the courts step in?

Trump’s claims of executive privilege as a means of blocking all oversight and accountability are, as previously stated, a bit thin, but if court rulings on the ability of the White House to withhold testimony and cooperation from every person even tangentially connected to the President come down this week, they could represent a massive game-changer. Many Trump White House officials are party to a lawsuit asking for clarity on this and results could come at any time.

Trump is on a losing streak in the courts — from his taxes to immigration matters to emoluments — and his delaying tactics on executive power are headed for a collision with the Supreme Court that will make the legal fight much more than a sideshow; it may well be the main event.

This week is going to be a hell of a ride. Strap in.