Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Highlights of Whistleblower's Complaint About Trump's Interactions With
Ukraine

Masood Farivar

   The House Intelligence Committee on Thursday released a copy of an
   intelligence community whistleblower's complaint that this week
   triggered a House of Representatives impeachment probe of President
   Donald Trump.
   Amongother episodes, the nine-page document, filed Aug. 12 and
   addressed to the chairmen of the congressional intelligence committees,
   describes a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President
   VolodymyrZelenskiyduringwhich Trump "pressured"Zelenskiyto investigate
   former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, as well as
   allegations that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential
   election on behalf of the Democratic Party. The complaint then recounts
   how White House officials, worried about the "gravity" of what had
   transpired duringthe call, sought to suppress a detailed account of the
   conversation.

   Here are key highlights of the complaint.
   The main allegation
   The whistleblower's central claim is that Trump is "usingthe power of
   his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020
   election." This claim is largely based on an allegation that Trump
   pressed the Ukrainian president to probe theBidens' dealings with the
   Ukrainiangovernmentin search of dirt to use against Joe Biden, a
   leadingDemocratic candidate for president."I am deeply concerned," the
   whistleblower writes, that that the actions described in the complaint
   constitute a violation of U.S. laws and "undermine the U.S.Government's
   efforts to deter and counter foreign interference in U.S. elections."

.