Just days after announcing a formal impeachment inquiry, Nancy Pelosi says that attorney general William Barr has “gone rogue” to protect Donald Trump’s presidency.

Ms Pelosi, the speaker of the House and the highest ranking Democrat in Congress, made the accusation during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe in which she said Mr Barr is a part of a White House “cover up” to brush aside concerns that the president attempted to abuse the power of his office to pressure Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to dig up dirt on Joe Biden.

“He’s gone rogue,” Ms Pelosi said. “I think where they’re going is a cover up of a cover up.”

She continued: “I think it’s sad, to have the Justice Department go so rogue. Well, they have been for a while. And now it just makes matters worse.”

The comments come days after Ms Pelosi, who had previously resisted calls for impeachment, announced that the House would now start impeachment proceedings against Mr Trump.

Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Show all 13 1 /13 Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Everyone Trump has fired or forced out John Bolton Trump claimed to have fired Bolton, his national security adviser, while Bolton claimed he offered to resign. An anonymous White House source that Bolton's departure came as a result of the national security adviser working too independently of the president AFP/Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Anthony Scaramucci Scaramucci lasted only six days in his role as Trump's communications director before being fired by John Kelly, the incoming chief of staff Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Rick Perry Rick Perry announced his resignation just as he became embroiled in the president's impeachment scandal. The White House said Mr Perry was asked by Donald Trump to work with Rudy GIuliani in regards to Ukraine. AP Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Rex Tillerson Tillerson, Trump's first secretary of state, was fired after a series of clashes with the president over policy Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out James Mattis Mattis served as secretary of defense from the beginning of Trump's administration until retiring on 1 January 2019. However, the president later claimed that he had "essentially fired" Mattis Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out James Comey Comey was fired as director of the FBI early in Trump's presidency after serving in the role for four years prior. His dismissal is widely thought to have been related to the Russia investigation Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Reince Priebus Priebus, Trump's first chief of staff, was forced out after six tumultuous months AFP/Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out David Shulkin Veterans affairs secretary Shulkin claims that he was fired, the White House claims that he resigned Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out John Kelly Kelly, Trump's second chief of staff, was forced out after 17 months in office. His departure was a confused affair though it is clear that Trump wanted Kelly out AFP/Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Michael Flynn Flynn lasted 24 days as Trump's national security adviser before being fired for lying to the FBI Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Lee Cisna Cisna served as director of citizen and immigration services between October 2017 and June 2019 before being asked to resign amid a major personnel change in the department of homeland security Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Madeline Westerhout Westerhout served as Trump's personal assistant after leaking private information about his family AFP/Getty Everyone Trump has fired or forced out Mira Ricardel Ricardel was forced out of her role as Deputy National Security Advisor after first lady Melania Trump publicly called for her to be fired

Her decision was sparked by a whistleblower complaint regarding a July phone call between Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky, in which the president asked the Ukrainian to investigate Mr Biden — a potential 2020 rival — as a “favour”, after discussing aid to the former Soviet country.

Those allegations have been corroborated by a rough transcript of the phone call, which the White House released earlier this week.

Democrats now appear to be moving quickly on impeachment, saying that they will focus tightly on the Ukrainian issue, in spite of other concerns that have been raised during Mr Trump’s nearly three-year presidency.

The House intelligence committee is leading the charge, with representative Adam Schiff, the committee’s chairman, saying on Thursday that the whistleblower complaint provided a clear “road map” for investigators in the coming weeks. He also said that the committee would work through a two-week recess that is slated to start on Friday.

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