Article snippet: Pelosi’s decision was likely a reflection of the fact that her secretive, sham impeachment process — run in Adam Schiff’s basement, as Trump put it — was a political disaster. But she was also running out of legal options, and had painted herself into a corner. The question of whether the House can begin an impeachment inquiry into the president without a formal vote to authorize one is complicated. Judge Beryl Howell, who presided over the grand jury impaneled by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, ruled last Friday that the House Judiciary Committee could gain access to normally-secret grand jury testimony partly because Pelosi had declared the House was officially launching an impeachment inquiry. Normally, such testimony would not be made available, except as part of a judicial proceeding. Judge Howell held that an impeachment inquiry was a judicial proceeding — and held, further, that there was no need for the House to hold a formal vote to launch one. Though it had done so in prior impeachments involving a president, it had often begun its investigations before such votes, and it had not held similar authorization votes in impeaching judges. The Department of Justice appealed Howell’s ruling on Monday. One of its arguments in doing so was that the House Judiciary Committee no longer needed Mueller’s evidence, because Pelosi had “announced that the House impeachment inquiry will focus narrowly on the whistleblower complaint and issues surrounding Ukraine.” Moreo... Link to the full article to read more