Democrats in the US House of Representatives will move ahead with articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made the announcement at a press conference in Washington DC this afternoon, after weeks of private and public committee hearings in the impeachment inquiry.
A decision to draw up articles of impeachment is a significant step forward in the process, moving the House of Representatives a step closer to a vote.
Ms Pelosi told reporters: "The President leaves us no choice but to act, because he is trying to corrupt once again the election for his own benefit.
"The President is engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security, and jeopardising the integrity of our elections."
Tune in as I make a statement about the status of the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry. #DefendOurDemocracy https://t.co/8IAQNuO1GT
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 5, 2019
If the House of Representatives ultimately votes to impeach Mr Trump, he would then face a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate on whether he should be removed from office.
Tweeting ahead of today's announcement, Donald Trump denounced "the Do Nothing Democrats"
He claimed: "They have no Impeachment case and are demeaning our Country.
"But nothing matters to them, they have gone crazy.
"Therefore I say, if you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business."
The impeachment inquiry has been looking into the Trump administration's dealings with Ukraine - as well as the involvement of the president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
The inquiry - which the US president has denounced as a "Democrat hoax" - is investigating whether officials working for Mr Trump offered the Ukrainian president a White House visit in return for announcing an investigation into the son of Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden.
Lawmakers are also looking into whether the administration's decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine was tied to political investigations.
Recent weeks have seen high-profile figures testifying as part of inquiry - including the US ambassador to the EU confirming that officials pushed for a “quid pro quo” arrangement with Ukraine on behalf of President Trump.
Yesterday, three US constitutional law professors told a congressional committee that they believe Donald Trump had conducted an impeachable act - although a fourth scholar challenged that view.
