The Investigation

In the wake of President Trump's acquittal, "The Investigation" co-hosts Chris Vlasto, John Santucci and Katherine Faulders recap the critical moments that lead to this historic impeachment trial. Then, for this 50th and final episode, "The Investigation" takes a look back at the headlining guests that joined the podcast over the past year.   Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Senate Impeachment Trial enters its second week, Congressman Mark Meadows, joins "The Investigation." Meadows, who is a member of President Trump's impeachment team, weighs in on the aftershocks following the New York Times report on former National Security advisor John Bolton’s manuscript: "this is all about a political narrative" and says that calling Hunter Biden to testify "would be a good move." Meadows also addresses his upcoming departure from Congress since announcing he won't seek reelection and possible next steps for him. "The Investigation" co-hosts John Santucci and Katherine Faulders also discuss the exclusive ABC reporting on the audiotape from a 2018 small dinner with Trump released by former Giuliani associate Lev Parnas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over 20 years ago, he was part of an investigation into a sitting president and senior counsel to Ken Starr. Now, Paul Rosenzweig joins "The Investigation" co-hosts Chris Vlasto and Katherine Faulders, and calling the impeachment trial of President Trump a "watershed moment in American history" and summarizing the Senate leadership’s strategy as "very simple—to move as fast as they can...avoid as much evidence as possible." But Rosenzweig, who currently serves as resident senior fellow of the National Security and Cyber Security Program at the R Street Institute, cautions against comparing this era to the time of Clinton: "The comparison...is kind of apples to clouds...[in] which every assertion of executive privilege was eventually overcome." Later, ABC News chief White House correspondent and co-host of the "Powerhouse Politics" podcast Jonathan Karl shares his latest reporting on the White House response and his own prediction that the Senate trial will last "two weeks or less," largely due to "impeachment fatigue in the country." Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the nation prepares for its third impeachment trial in history, "The Investigation" co-hosts Chris Vlasto and Katherine Faulders bring all the latest updates from Capitol Hill with senior Congressional correspondent Mary Bruce. Then, senior national correspondent Terry Moran joins to set the historical context and significance of this impeachment proceeding, explaining that "this is the biggest thing that Congress can do: overturn an election, remove a president from office." Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow Katherine on Twitter @KFaulders Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going on a short break for the holidays - in the meantime, listen to ABC's daily podcast, "start Here" and be sure to subscribe if you like what you hear. Follow Chris on Twitter: @vlasto Follow John on Twitter: @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going on a short break for the holidays - in the meantime, listen to ABC's daily podcast, "Start Here" and be sure to subscribe if you like what you hear. Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the impeachment inquiry prepares to move to a trial in the Senate, former Congressman Bill McCollum sits down with "The Investigation." As one of the House impeachment managers during the Clinton impeachment trial, McCollum shares his view of the impeachment inquiry: "it's that grave a nature that ought to be determined by the voters next year, the election." The former Congressman sees little comparison between impeachment trials, calling the case against President Trump, "Very stretched, very thin, very different." But first, "The Investigation"team along with Senior National Correspondent Tom Llamas give an inside look into ABC's investigation of 2020 candidate Mike Bloomberg and allegations that his company has a culture of sexist commentary and a toxic environment for his female employees that arose in the 80's and 90's. Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the impeachment inquiry continues with committee counsels testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, former Republican counsel for the House Oversight Committee during the impeachment of President Clinton, Barbara Comstock, joins "The Investigation." Comstock, a former Congresswoman from Virginia and now an ABC News contributor, reveals what she called "an odd thing for Republicans to be saying" when it comes to the impeachment process and shares her theory as to why she believes the American public is not engaged: "We know how the movie ends, and we know the final chapter won’t be until next November." Then, co-hosts Chris Vlasto and John Santucci discuss ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas' exclusive interview with FBI Director Wray, as all eyes turn to the FBI with the release of the Department of Justice Inspector General’s report into the origins of the Russia investigation. Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Congress takes critical next steps in the impeachment inquiry, ABC News senior correspondent Terry Moran and contributor John Cohen break down all latest developments on "The Investigation." Cohen, a former senior  investigator for the House Judiciary committee, provides his unique analysis of the public testimony thus far: "a sounding of the alarm...that the national security system that has protected this country for decades is broken." As for the White House responses to the inquiry, Moran theorizes that the president's allies will take their case to the American people "that they don’t need this committee, it's basically 'you got nothing' to use a line from an old gangster movie." Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The co-founders of Fusion GPS, Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, speak out to "The Investigation," breaking their silence about the origins of the now infamous Steele Dossier and weighing in on the current impeachment inquiry involving Ukraine. "We were horrified when it [the Steele Dossier] was published because it's not the kind of thing that we do," Simpson told "The Investigation," of the publication of the raw information, adding that the information that Steele, a former MI6 agent hired by Fusion, brought back to them was "a digital Pearl Harbor...the government of Russia attacked our political system." The two former investigative reporters who were original hired by the Republicans to investigate then candidate Donald Trump leading up to the 2016 election have released a new book entitled "Crime and Progress: Inside the Steele Dossier and the Fusion GPS Investigation of Donald Trump." Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Chicago mayor and chief of staff to President Obama Rahm Emanuel joins "The Investigation." Emanuel, now an ABC News contributor, offers that censure in a Senate trial may be best option: "they may hit him with a yellow card...and that would be condemnation and censure." The former White House chief strategist during President Clinton's impeachment trial also makes note of the stark difference between the two president’s responses: "[Trump] is his own war room." And as more witnesses are lined up to testify in public hearings, Emanuel cautions, when asked about the significance of "star witnesses": "Don’t go chasing rabbits down rabbit holes...the king of kings here is the President of the United States." Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The impeachment process for a sitting president can be a daunting task. Just ask Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, formerly a Congressman from Arkansas who served on the House Judiciary Committee during impeachment proceedings against Clinton. Hutchinson, who was one of 13 "prosecutors" – referred to as House Managers- during Clinton's impeachment trial in the Senate, sits down for an interview with "The Investigation" co-hosts Chris Vlasto and John Santucci. "It [was] an unwise call," Hutchinson said, referring to that July 25th phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian president Zelenskiy, adding "but that doesn't mean that a president ought to be impeached." As the House gears up for two days of the first public testimony surrounding the impeachment inquiry, Hutchinson reminds: "you cannot impeach a sitting president without the support of the American public...you’re not going to gain the confidence of the American public without having public testimony." ABC News senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce also joins. Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Investigation" co-hosts Chris Vlasto and John Santucci interview two recipients of the International Women's Media Foundation "Courage in Journalism" award: Ukrainian journalists Nastya Stanko and Anna Babinets. Stanko, a war reporter who is often on the front lines of conflict in Eastern Ukraine and was once held hostage while on the job, stressed the importance of US military aid because even with peace agreements, "nobody believes Putin" and "if we will have this military aid from US, we will have this protection. And for people in Ukraine, it's also very important that we have this partner." Babinets, an investigative journalist focused on government corruption and big crime in Ukraine, explained their fears and frustration with reporting in their home country: "we almost never get our words in Ukraine because in some point and some understanding, we are kind of enemies of Ukraine." "The Investigation" also catches up with senior national correspondent Terry Moran and Capitol Hill reporter Katherine Faulders, breaking down the latest news on the impeachment inquiry. Follow Chris on Twitter @vlasto Follow John on Twitter @santucci Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump's first Homeland Security Adviser and current ABC News contributor, Tom Bossert, tells The Investigation co-hosts, Chris Vlasto and John Santucci, that President Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, is in a position to give the President "bad advice." Bossert provides an insider's look at the Trump administration's relationship with government institutions: "that trust has been broken in a lot of ways." Plus, Bossert talks about miscommunication within the administration: "If they're not coordinated, you run into problems." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Congressional committees continue their investigations as part of the impeachment inquiry, "The Investigation" co-hosts Chris Vlasto and John Santucci sit down with veteran attorney Greg Craig, who represented President Clinton during his senate impeachment trial. Mr. Craig, who also served as White House counsel in the Obama administration, was asked by "The Investigation" if he had any advice for President Trump and his attorney Rudy Giuliani: "When you’re in a hole, I would stop digging." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Investigation" offers an early preview of Amy Robach's exclusive interview with Hunter Biden. Now, two of the producers who booked and produced the highly sought after interview, Victoria Thompson and Nadine Shubailat, sit down with "Investigation" co-host Chris Vlasto and discuss the critical points from the interview, including Hunter Biden's adamant response he did nothing improper when he joined Burisma's board, but saying "I'm a human...did I make a mistake? Well, maybe in the grand scheme of things, yeah." Then, our co-hosts break down the latest legal and political questions surrounding the impeachment inquiry with two ABC News contributors: former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock and former Obama White House lawyer and law professor Kate Shaw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming on the heels of ABC News' exclusive reporting that a second whistleblower has stepped forward to express concerns about President's Trump's July 25th phone call with the President of Ukraine, the team from "The Investigation" gets the very latest from the reporter who broke the story. Brad Moss, a lawyer who specializes in whistleblower law, also weighs in on his concerns about protecting the whistleblower's identity in light of President Trump's claims that he deserves the right to confront his accuser. "If the president wants to be able to invoke his sixth amendment rights to confront his accusers, he can have DOJ rescind the memo saying he can't be indicted and we can try this through the criminal process. I don't think he wants that," Moss tells "The Investigation." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a brief hiatus, "The Investigation" is back and diving into all angles of the launch of the impeachment inquiry against President Trump. As six House committees continue their individual investigations under an impeachment inquiry umbrella, what does this mean for the President and the country leading up to the 2020 election. Senior Congressional correspondent Mary Bruce joins from Capitol Hill, along with senior national correspondent Terry Moran, who offers his perspective on the rough transcript released by the White House, a transcript described as "not verbatim" of President Trump's "perfect" phone call with the Ukrainian president: "Ten words. I'd like you to do us a favor though."   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going on hiatus while we work on some new investigations - stay subscribed for updates. In the meantime, check out today's episode ABC News' daily podcast, "Start Here." If you like it, search for "Start Here" in your app and subscribe today. Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going on hiatus while we work on some new investigations - stay subscribed for updates. In the meantime, check out today's episode ABC News' daily podcast, "Start Here." If you like it, search for "Start Here" in your app and subscribe today. Support this podcast with a review on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2UJIsJs Recommended listening... -- Start Here: The daily 20-minute news podcast from ABC News. http://bit.ly/2SA62eg -- Powerhouse Politics: Headliner interviews and in-depth looks at the people and events shaping U.S. politics. http://bit.ly/2SsGwr7 -- FiveThirtyEight Politics: Nate Silver and the FiveThirtyEight team cover the latest in politics, tracking the issues and "game-changers" every week. https://53eig.ht/2RF3eb1 ==================== The Investigation is produced by ABC Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices