WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - House Democratic leaders sent a letter conveying a subpoena to President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani demanding key Ukraine-related documents as a part of an impeachment inquiry against Trump.
'Pursuant to the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry, we are hereby transmitting a subpoena that compels you to produce the documents set forth in the accompanying schedule by October 15,' the letter says.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, and House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings sent the letter.
The Committees are investigating the extent to which Trump jeopardized national security by pressing his Ukrainian counterpart to interfere with the 2020 U.S. presidential election and withholding security assistance provided by Congress to help Ukraine counter Russian aggression, as well as any efforts to cover up these matters.
Giuliani admitted on national television that, while serving as the President's personal attorney, he asked officials of the Ukrainian government to investigate widely debunked corruption allegations targeting former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump's potential Democratic rival in the 2020 presidential election.
The impeachment inquiry was spurred by a whistle blower complaint against the president.
In his July 25 phone call, Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate corruption allegations against Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who was on the board of a gas company in Ukraine.
Democrats allege that White House's attempt to suppress a record of Trump's phone call to Ukraine was a cover-up.
'In addition to this stark admission, you stated more recently that you are in possession of evidence-in the form of text messages, phone records, and other communications-indicating that you were not acting alone and that other Trump Administration officials may have been involved in this scheme,' the lawmakers say in the letter addressed to Giuliani.
Additionally, the Chairmen of the committees also sent separate letters seeking documents and noticing depositions with three of Giuliani's business associates.
Lev Parnas, a businessman who was one of Giuliani's fixers in Kiev, was urged to depose before the Congressmen on October 10.
South Florida businessman and major Republican donor Igor Fruman was called to testify on October 11.
Semyon 'Sam' Kislin, a Ukrainian businessman who was on a New York City economic advisory council when Giuliani was mayor, has been served notice to appear before the committees on October 14.
'A growing public record indicates that the President, his agent Rudy Giuliani, and others appear to have pressed the Ukrainian government to pursue two politically-motivated investigations,' the Chairmen wrote in the letter.
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