OnPolitics impeachment update: Ukrainians arrested

IMPEACHMENT. 2020 ELECTION. WASHINGTON. AND MORE FROM THE POLITICS WORLD.

Thursday, October 10

Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for President Donald Trump, speaks in Washington. Giuliani on May 5, 2018.

Two of Giuliani's associates were arrested while trying to leave the country. That and more of today's news.

If we could, we'd write this impeachment inquiry update in Comic Sans.

You know that fun, lighthearted font, perfect for children's birthday parties and community center flyers ... and official legal documents regarding the president, apparently.

It's Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, and if you hadn't noticed, things are absurd in the world of the Trump-Ukraine scandal. Move aside, Times New Roman, because things are happening fast. CurlzMT fast.

What's happened since our last chat

Two Ukrainian-born business partners, who showered Republican campaign committees with nearly $500,000 and dined with President Donald Trump at the White House, were arrested late Wednesday on campaign finance charges, federal authorities said Thursday. Then, they were subpoenaed to testify in the impeachment inquiry.

•	Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman helped Rudy Giuliani meet a Ukrainian prosecutor as the president's personal lawyer pushed for an investigation into Trump's political rival Joe Biden. They were arrested at the airport as they were trying to leave the U.S. with one-way tickets.
•	Both men are among the prospective witnesses House Democrats wanted to question in their impeachment inquiry. They were scheduled to appear before the House Oversight, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees.
•	"Your clients are private citizens who are not employees of the Executive Branch. They may not evade requests from Congress for documents and information necessary to conduct our inquiry," the chairmen of the three investigating panels wrote in the subpoena.
•	The Trump-Ukraine scandal also puts a spotlight on Giuliani's business ties. It's leaving people asking if he is a "foreign agent."

The impeachment inquiry is escalating quickly

•	Energy Secretary Rick Perry became the latest member of Trump's cabinet to be subpoenaed by House Dems.
•	George Conway and 16 other conservative lawyers say Trump's acts "threaten our democracy."
•	Trump is not pleased about a new impeachment poll from Fox News that says 51 percent favor Trump's impeachment and removal from office.
•	Confused? Here's a timeline of events of this whole brouhaha.