On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Newsroom,” Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) said he believed this week’s public impeachment hearings will provide “direct evidence” that President Donald Trump committed bribery.

Maloney said, “Let’s be real clear, we are going to have direct evidence this week added to what’s already been made public that the president of the United States used taxpayer-funded military assistance to pressure a foreign leader to help him in his re-election campaign. That is soliciting a bribe, and that is an impeachable offense listed in the Constitution.”

He continued, “The witnesses this week, Sondland, is the guy who carried out the quid pro quo, and you’re going to hear him testify to that, and you’re also going to hear other witnesses testify to those actions. Morrison witnessed the conversation he had with the president, Taylor confirms it, and David Holmes is the latest witness who has important information about what Sondland was doing.”

He added, “The aid was released only after the whistleblower came forward, three Congressional Committees started investigations, and, of course, the solicitation of the bribe is what occurred. At the president’s instruction, Gordon Sondland, who will testify this week, said directly to the Ukrainians, you either get us a statement specifically negotiated with Giuliani calling for an investigation about the Bidens or there will be no military assistance. That’s a quid pro quo which is Latin for bribery.”

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