Pompeo misses deadline to turn over State Dept. docs on Ukraine, Giuliani in impeachment inquiry

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo missed Friday’s deadline to comply with a subpoena issued by three Democrat-led House committees last week to hand over documents related to the department’s dealings with Ukraine and President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, Fox News has confirmed.
The subpoena came as Congress conducts a probe into a whistleblower’s complaint to the national intelligence community over Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -- the incident that has since touched off the Trump impeachment inquiry.
The president is under fire for urging Zelensky, during that call, to investigate Democratic 2020 presidential frontrunner Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, and the Ukrainian firm Burisma, where Hunter Biden held a board position.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listens during an event hosted by the Department of State's Energy Resources Governance Initiative in New York, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019. (Associated Press)

Last week, the chairmen of the three House panels -- Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., of the Intelligence Committee; Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., of the Foreign Affairs Committee; and Elijah Cummings, D-Md., of the Oversight and Reform Committee -- demanded a list of State Department officials who might have been involved with the Ukraine conversation. The chairmen additionally requested any State Department records about Giuliani, and any records relating to U.S. military aid to Ukraine. (Giuliani had traveled to Ukraine on business on behalf of the president, he told Fox News' Sean Hannity on Wednesday.)
Fox News confirmed the State Department is in touch with the three House panels regarding the deadline breach. Trump told reporters he would send House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter Friday, saying the White House would not comply with the impeachment inquiry until it is made official by a vote before the entire chamber. It was unclear if the State Department failed to comply with the subpoena at Trump's request.
Pompeo confirmed Wednesday -- while in Rome -- that he was on the July 25 call, describing his involvement as appropriate, and within the purview of his role as secretary of state. As a stand-off between the executive branch and Congress escalated, he also said he would fight a request from the Democratic chairmen for depositions from five State Department officials. He accused the lawmakers of not giving department employees enough time to prepare and voiced concern that the committee was trying to prevent State Department counsel from participating.
"What we objected to was the demands that were put that deeply violate fundamental principles of the separation of powers," Pompeo said. "They contacted State Department employees directly and told them not to contact legal counsel at the State Department.”

"What we objected to was the demands that were put that deeply violate fundamental principles of the separation of powers. They contacted State Department employees directly and told them not to contact legal counsel at the State Department.”
— Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Lawmakers from the Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees moved forward with testimony from their first key witness Thursday --- former U.S. envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker, who resigned last week after receiving word his name had surfaced in the whistleblower complaint. Text messages released by Volker to Congress show U.S. officials involved with Ukraine arguing internally last month over whether Trump was engaged in a quid pro quo. Fox News on Friday also obtained Volker’s prepared testimony, in which he details his interactions with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was probing whether Burisma had sought to garner influence with Biden by paying high fees to his son.
A memorandum of the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky released last month showed that while Trump sought a Ukrainian probe into the Biden family, he did not explicitly use the $400 million in military aid as leverage. Trump tweeted Thursday that he had an "absolute right, perhaps even a duty, to investigate or have investigated corruption, and that would include asking or suggesting other countries to help us out!"
Joe Biden has acknowledged on camera that in spring 2016, when he was vice president and spearheading the Obama administration's Ukraine policy, he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire top prosecutor Viktor Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma Holdings — where Hunter had a lucrative role on the board despite limited relevant expertise. Biden allies maintain his intervention was driven by corruption concerns.
Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, gave testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Friday, as he was the first to receive the whistleblower complaint. The complaint was eventually declassified by the Trump administration and a redacted versions sent to Congress. House Democrats are scheduled to hear testimony from several other officials next week.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Brooke Singman, Alex Pappas and Catherine Herridge contributed to this report.

Trey Gowdy: Adam Schiff has made himself a 'fact witness' in Trump-Ukraine whistleblower case

Former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy blasted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., saying Schiff made himself a "fact witness" with the revelation that his office had contact with the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower.
"Right now he's made himself a fact witness," Gowdy told "The Story with Martha MacCallum" on Friday. "He is in the evidentiary chain for what happened with this whistleblower and I hope the Republicans make him testify."
Gowdy also mocked Schiff for being awarded “Four Pinocchios” by the Washington Post on Friday, claiming he hadn't told the truth about his knowledge of the whistleblower.
Schiff has played a leading role in investigating the Trump-Ukraine scandal but hasn’t been truthful in the process, according to Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler.
"I think you got four [Pinocchios] only because you can't get five," Gowdy joked. "He got the maximum sentence you could get from the Washington Post fact checker -- and don't you know how hard that was for the Washington Post to give Adam Schiff four Pinocchios?"

"He got the maximum sentence you could get from the Washington Post fact checker -- and don't you know how hard that was for the Washington Post to give Adam Schiff four Pinocchios?"
— Trey Gowdy, former congressman from South Carolina

The former congressman from South Carolina called Schiff a "career offender" when it came to the truth and asked how long House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would put up with Schiff.
"The same guy that had the parody a week or so ago, the same guy that says he has evidence that even [former Special Counsel Robert] Mueller couldn't find," Gowdy said. "The question I had is, How long is Speaker Pelosi going to put up with Adam mishandling this investigation?"
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Biden snaps at reporter over Ukraine question, tells media to focus on Trump instead

Former Vice President Joe Biden snapped at a reporter Friday after being asked whether his son Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine -- while the elder Biden was diplomatically involved with the country as vice president -- represented a conflict of interest.
“It’s not a conflict of interest. There’s been no indication of any conflict of interest,” Biden said while at a Service Employees International Union forum in Los Angeles.
The reporter then asked if Biden's son's work created the appearance of a conflict of interest -- prompting Biden to attempt to shift the focus to President Trump.
“I’m not going to respond to that,” Biden said. “Focus on this man. What he’s doing that no president has ever done. No president.”

“I’m not going to respond to that. Focus on this man. What he’s doing that no president has ever done. No president.”
— Joe Biden

Biden told reporters he and his son had not discussed Hunter Biden's business in Ukraine when reporters asked about a photo of the two Bidens taken at a golf course with one of Hunter Biden's former Ukrainian business partners. Again, Biden turned the conversation to Trump.
“This is the guy that's unhinged,” Biden said about the president. “He is unhinged. I worry about what he's going to do -- not about me or my family. I'm worried about what he'll do in the next year in the presidency, as this thing continues to rot on his watch."
"The American people know me, and they know him," he added.

"He is unhinged. I worry about what he's going to do -- not about me or my family."
— Joe Biden

Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while his father was vice president. Trump and fellow Republicans have questioned Biden's role pushing for the dismissal of a Ukrainian prosecutor who had been looking into corruption at the company (though the prosecutor was viewed by officials in several countries as being corrupt himself).
There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden or his son in Ukraine.
Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry last week regarding a July phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine during which Trump asked him to investigate Biden and his son's ties to the country.
Biden has slipped in the polls recently but is still one of the top contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

Religious Cartoons

'Get rid of the babies!': Distraught woman at AOC town hall urges 'eating babies' to fight climate change

QUEENS, New York — A seemingly troubled woman at a town hall hosted by Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her district stood up to demand the congresswoman support drastic measures to combat climate change, such as "eating babies."
“We’re not going to be here for much longer, because of the climate crisis," the woman pleaded. "We only have a few months left. I love that you support the Green Deal, but it’s not gonna get rid of fossil fuel. It’s not going to solve the problem fast enough. A Swedish professor said we can eat dead people, but it’s not fast enough! So, I think your next campaign slogan needs to be this: We’ve got to start eating babies."
Many of Ocasio-Cortez’s constituents appeared confused by the woman’s declarations.
Removing her jacket to reveal a T-shirt with the phrase “Save the planet Eat the Children,” the woman continued, “We don’t have a enough time. There’s too much Co2."
"All of you!" she went on, turning to those around her, "You’re a pollutant! Too much Co2. We have to start now. Please — you are so great. I’m so happy that you are supporting a Green New Deal, but it’s not enough. Even if we were to bomb Russia, it’s not enough. There’s too many people, too much pollution. So, we have to get rid of the babies. That’s a big problem. Just stopping having babies just isn’t enough. We need to eat the babies. This is very serious. Please give a response.”
Staffers of the New York congresswoman approached the woman toward the end of her remarks, as attendees in the room became increasingly uncomfortable.

Texas judge’s gift of Bible to Amber Guyger draws complaint from atheist group

An atheist group that has counted Ron Reagan Jr. among its members says it was inappropriate for a judge to give a Bible to Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer who convicted this week of murdering a neighbor last year.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) – the atheist group for which the 61-year-old son of former President Ronald Reagan has appeared in television ads – filed a formal complaint Thursday with the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct, FOX 4 of Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
The Wisconsin-based group objected to Judge Tammy Kemp giving one of her Bibles to Guyger after the former officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for the shooting death of Botham Jean, a 26-year-old accountant.
“You just need a tiny mustard seed of faith,” Kemp said to a tearful Guyger, handing the Bible to her before the convicted former officer left the courtroom. “You start with this.”
Kemp also hugged Guyger – as did a brother of the murder victim, in actions that some observers said showed compassion for the newly convicted defendant.

State District Judge Tammy Kemp gives former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger a hug before Guyger leaves for jail, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019, in Dallas. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News via AP, Pool)

But in a letter Thursday to the Texas commission, the atheist group objected to what it termed the judge’s “proselytizing actions,” saying they “overstepped judicial authority,” and were “inappropriate” and “unconstitutional.”
“It is perfectly acceptable for private citizens to express their religious beliefs in court,” the letter states later, “but the rules are different for those acting in a governmental role.”
In a separate Twitter message, FFRF attorney Andrew L. Seidel further explained the group’s position.
“We need more compassion in our criminal justice system,” Seidel wrote, “but here, compassion crossed the line into coercion. Judges cannot impose their personal religion on others.”

“We need more compassion in our criminal justice system, but here, compassion crossed the line into coercion. Judges cannot impose their personal religion on others.”
— Andrew L. Seidel, attorney, Freedom from Religion Foundation

Seidel is the author of “The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Un-American.”
Neither the group nor Seidel appeared to demand punishment for the judge. Their messages seemed aimed only at drawing attention to a “possible violation” of rules of judicial conduct.
However, another group – the Texas-based First Liberty Institute, which supports religious freedom – came to the judge’s defense.
“We should all be thankful the law allows Judge Kemp’s actions,” said Hiram Sasser, legal counsel for the First Liberty Institute. “We stand with her and will gladly lead the charge in defending her noble and legal actions.”

“We should all be thankful the law allows Judge Kemp’s actions. We stand with her and will gladly lead the charge in defending her noble and legal actions.”
— Hiram Sasser, legal counsel for the First Liberty Institute

Guyger claimed she mistakenly entered Jean’s apartment, one floor above hers, thinking it was her own home, and shot Jean because she believed he was an intruder in her apartment.
But on Tuesday, a jury decided that Guyger, 31, was guilty of murder. Guyger had been a member of the Dallas force for nearly five years.
Also on Thursday, the atheist group posted a Twitter message objecting to Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s support of “Bring Your Bible to School Day,” saying the Republican governor’s stand was “narrow-minded and totally inappropriate.”

Trump to send Pelosi a letter 'daring' her to hold impeachment inquiry vote

The White House will send House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a letter on Friday "daring" her to hold a vote on Democrats' impeachment inquiry into President Trump, Fox News has confirmed.
The letter will say the White House won't comply with the Democrats' investigation because Pelosi hasn't codified the probe with a formal vote on the House floor. Its tone will be consistent with that of the letter House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., sent to the speaker on Thursday, Fox learned.
In his letter, McCarthy called on Pelosi to end the impeachment inquiry until “equitable rules and procedures” are set up.
“Unfortunately, you have given no clear indication as to how your impeachment inquiry will proceed -- including whether key historical precedents or basic standards of due process will be observed,” McCarthy wrote. “In addition, the swiftness and recklessness with which you have proceeded [have] already resulted in committee chairs attempting to limit minority participation in scheduled interviews, calling into question the integrity of such an inquiry.”
McCarthy referred to reports that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was limiting Republicans' ability to ask questions during Thursday’s testimony by former U.S. envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker, who resigned last week.
Pelosi shot back at McCarthy, saying that "existing rules of the House provide House committees with full authority to conduct investigations for all matters under their jurisdiction."
She later tweeted: "The fact that the [House Republicans'] loyalty is to Trump and not to the Constitution is not going to slow down or impair our ability to keep the republic of our founders envisioned."
The letter prompted a response from President Trump, who tweeted Thursday: "Leader McCarthy, we look forward to you soon becoming Speaker of the House. The Do Nothing Dems don’t have a chance!"
House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry into Trump after a whistleblower complaint suggested the president took part in a quid pro quo scheme during a July 25 phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, using $400 million in military aid as leverage to induce officials there to investigate Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, his son Hunter and their business dealings in that country.
Trump has said his call with President Volodymyr Zelensky was "perfect." On Thursday, he repeated his contention that the Democrats' investigation "the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country."
Trump said there "wasn't anything said wrong" in his phone call with Zelensky and called the impeachment probe a "Democrat scam."
He later tweeted that, as president, he has an "absolute right, perhaps even a duty, to investigate or have investigated corruption, and that would include asking or suggesting other countries to help us out!"
Schiff made a formal request on Sept. 10 to transmit the whistleblower complaint to Congress. Trump has said Schiff is a "lowlife" who should resign.
Fox News' Chad Pergram and Andrew O'Reilly contributed to this report.

Ukraine top prosecutor says Biden-linked Burisma case will be reviewed

Ukraine’s top prosecutor said Friday that his office is "conducting an audit" of closed cases that had been previously investigated, including the probe involving the energy giant Burisma, where Hunter Biden had served on the board.
Ruslan Ryaboshapka, the country's prosecutor general, said at a news conference that his office was instructed to review cases that have been closed, fragmented or investigated earlier to make sure they were fairly and thoroughly handled. He said no one attempted to influence him to call for the new investigations.
DOCUMENTS HEIGHTEN SCRUTINY ON BIDEN-UKRAINE DEALINGS, INDICATE HUNTER MAY HAVE MADE 'MILLIONS'
His comment came as the Trump White House fights an impeachment inquiry that involves allegations that President Trump used military funding as part of a "quid pro quo" proposal with Kiev to investigate Biden and his father, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Trump has denied wrongdoing. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who participated in a scrutinized phone call with Trump in July, said he never felt pressure from Trump.
Trump's key focus has been how Hunter Biden, who reportedly knew little about the energy business and the country, ended up on Burisma’s board while his father was vice president under Barack Obama. The elder Biden later pressured Ukraine to oust a prosecutor who had been looking into the company's founder, though Biden allies say this intervention was driven by corruption concerns.
Ryaboshapka is considered a reformer and “the father of the anti-corruption strategy in Ukraine,” a former associate told the Washington Post. Another peer called him an “honest person” but expressed doubts that he has the ability to weed out corruption in the country.
"Being a good guy is not always enough,' the source said.