WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans disrupted a closed-door deposition Wednesday with a Defense Department official who was scheduled to answer questions as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio said the Republicans are fed up with the secrecy surrounding the investigation.
"It's finally reached a boiling point where members just said they are so frustrated at the idea that they can't be a part of this and can't see what's going on," said Jordan, who is the top Republican on the House oversight committee. "We're at a standstill here."
Lawmakers described a chaotic scene. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said she had just walked into the room when the Republican lawmakers blew past Capitol Police officers and Democratic staffers. The staff member who was checking identification at the entrance was "basically overcome" by the Republicans, she said.
"Literally some of them were just screaming about the president and what we're doing to him and that we have nothing and just all things that were supportive of the president," Wasserman Schultz said.
"It just shows that there's no depths to which they won't sink to protect the president," she said.
Cooper's testimony came a day after a top U.S. diplomat testified that he was told Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine until the country's president went public with a promise to investigate Democrats. Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California said Republicans didn't want to hear from Cooper because they were "freaked out" by what William Taylor told lawmakers.
"They know more facts are going to be delivered that are absolutely damning to the President of the United States," Lieu said.
