Morelle: begin Trump impeachment proceedings 

[ UPDATED ]National media are reporting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to announce an impeachment inquiry later today.

Rochester-area Representative Joe Morelle has joined the list of  House Democrats calling an impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump.

In a statement issued early this afternoon, Morelle referred to recent allegations that Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to help his 2020 presidential campaign.

“The President’s disturbing pattern of unlawful behavior is an offense to the very principles and ideals our nation was founded upon,"  Morelle said, "and clearly demonstrates that he believes the laws of the United States do not apply to him. Therefore, I believe it is in the national interest that the United States House of Representatives moves forward with impeachment proceedings."

“I took an oath to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic," Morelle said, "and, by extension, to safeguard the American people from the President’s contempt for our nation’s rule of law."

“This is a profoundly sad moment in our nation’s history and I do not make this decision lightly," Morelle said. "But with each passing day, it is becoming increasingly and alarmingly evident that Donald Trump sought to use the office of the Presidency to leverage a foreign government for his own political benefit, jeopardizing the security of our nation and demonstrating his continued disdain for the best interests of the United States of America."