Evidence for impeaching Donald Trump for misconduct in office is “overwhelming”, according to the panel leading the US impeachment inquiry.

The president placed personal political interests “above the national interests of the United States,” it states in a key report to US House lawmakers.

Evidence of misconduct was overwhelming “and so too is the evidence of his obstruction of Congress,” it adds.

Sondland’s recollection of a phone conversation that he said took place on Sept. 9 has emerged as a centerpiece of Trump’s defense as House Democrats argue in an impeachment inquiry that he abused his office to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democrats.

However, no other witness testimony or documents have emerged that corroborate Sondland’s description of a call that day.

The call occurred on September 7th. In this call, Trump did say there was “no quid pro quo” with Ukraine, but he then went on to outline his preconditions for releasing the security assistance and granting a White House visit. The call was so alarming that when John Bolton learned of it, he ordered his deputy Tim Morrison to immediately report it to the National Security Council lawyers…

Sondland has testified there was a call on September 9th in which Trump said there was “no quid pro quo,” but that he wanted President Zelenskyy “to do” the right thing. A close reading of the publicly available evidence shows that the latter call was actually the very one that sent Morrison to the lawyers, and that Ambassador Bill Taylor foregrounded in his written deposition to inform Congress of the quid pro quo.

Citing House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA), the “fundamental unfairness” of the impeachment hearings and a perceived attempt to ignore “historical precedent,” the White House officially declined the House’s offer to have the President participate in impeachment proceedings this week.