Moral support for the US Democrats: More than 300 former government officials have backed the party-led investigation into possible impeachment of President Donald Trump. "We applaud the congressmen, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who have now brought us this necessary path," a statement said. If the allegations against Republican President Trump prove true, that would be "a ruthless abuse of power."
Trump is in for a controversial telephone conversation with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj in the criticism. In it, Trump encouraged his colleagues to investigate, which could harm his political rival Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election campaign. (Read more in the current SPIEGEL cover story)
Signatories to the Declaration are former government security and foreign affairs officials, most of whom worked under Democratic and Republican presidents. Signatories include William Burns and Matthew Olsen.
Burns was vice-secretary of state under the Democrat Barack Obama, Olsen was head of the Department of National Security in the Department of Justice under Republican George W. Bush.
The statement goes on to say that they do not want to anticipate the results of the Congressional investigation. Already what is now known justifies the investigations into possible impeachment proceedings. Thereafter, only the facts should determine "how Congress holds the President to account and signals to the world that our foreign policy and our national security are not up for sale."