Democratic prosecutors wrap up case against Trump

Democratic prosecutors sought to seal their case for President Donald Trump’s conviction and removal on Friday, presenting evidence of his obstruction to the Senate trial.

House impeachment managers laid out the case that Trump’s refusal to allow top officials to testify and to supply subpoenaed documents to the Ukraine investigation supported the second charge against him, obstruction of Congress.

Trump blocked the executive branch from responding to 71 specific requests for documents, including five subpoenas, related to his pressure on Kiev to help his 2020 reelection effort, the issue underlying the abuse of power charge, Democratic impeachment manager Val Deming told the Senate.

Trump also prevented 12 current and former administration officials, most of them subpoenaed, from testifying to the investigation, she said.

“President Trump’s obstruction of the impeachment inquiry was categorical, indiscriminate and historically unprecedented,” Demings said.

She said the Congress could not afford to allow Trump to reject its powers in such a wholesale manner.

“Executive power without any sort of restraint, without oversight, and without any checks and balances, is absolute power,” she told the Senate hearing.

“And we know what has been said about absolute power. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely.”