Pelosi Asks Lawmakers To Proceed With Trump Impeachment

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked lawmakers Thursday to draft articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

The step marks a dramatic escalation in the House's hitherto impeachment probe, and comes just one day after the Judiciary Committee carried out its first public hearing into the matter.

"Today, I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment," said Pelosi, referring to Judiciary Committee's Jerry Nadler.

The House's investigation is centered on Trump's multiple requests to Zelensky to declare criminal investigations into leading Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, as well as claims it was Ukraine, not Russia, who meddled in the 2016 election.

Also at issue is the holdup of $400 million in congressionally appropriated military aid to Ukraine and whether Trump conditioned the release of that assistance and a possible Oval Office meeting with Zelensky on the Ukrainian president publicly announcing the investigations.

*Michael Hernandez contributed to the story -