Amid Growing Furor in Washington, Biden Brings Presidential Campaign to LA

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - With his name figuring prominently in a newly announced move by House Democrats to pursue an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden will make a fundraising swing through the Southland today.

Biden is scheduled to attend a pair of fundraisers Wednesday, according to his campaign. One will be in Manhattan Beach, the other in Bel Air. Sandwiched between those events, Biden will tape an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in Hollywood.

Details of the fundraising events were not released. Deadline.com reported that the evening event in Bel Air will be at the home of Sean Burton, head of the investment firm Cityview and a member of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners.

Biden's appearance comes one day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D- California, announced an impeachment inquiry of Trump. The announcement came amid growing furor over a telephone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine in which Trump brought up Biden -- prompting allegations he may have pressured Ukraine's leader to investigate actions by then-Vice President Biden and his son in 2014-16, and that Trump may have threatened to withhold financial aid unless such an investigation was conducted.

Trump has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the call, and on Tuesday he ordered the release of an unredacted transcript of the conversation. Biden has also denied any wrongdoing relating to his discussions with Ukraine officials while his son was serving on the board of a private Ukraine gas company.

The phone call also generated a whistleblower complaint, and congressional Democrats have been pushing -- to no avail -- to have the Trump Administration turn over a copy of that complaint.

Biden on Tuesday said if Trump stonewalls Congress in its requests for information, the House will have no choice but to move forward with impeachment proceedings.

“The allegation that he blocked hundreds of millions of dollars in congressionally approved aid to another country unless it agreed to smear his political opponent is not the conduct of an American president,” Biden said. “... It's an abuse of power. It undermines our national security. It violates the oath of office. And it strikes at the heart of the sworn responsibility the president has to put the national interest before his personal interest.”

Trump on Tuesday blasted Pelosi and the impeachment inquiry, calling it an effort to demean him on the day he spoke to the United Nations General Assembly.

“Such an important day at the United Nations, so much work and so much success, and the Democrats purposely had to ruin and demean it with more breaking news Witch Hunt garbage,” Trump wrote on his Twitter page. “So bad for our country!”

In another tweet, he wrote, “They never even saw the transcript of the call. A total Witch Hunt!”

Biden is expected to remain in the Los Angeles area until Thursday before traveling to Nevada on Friday. No details were immediately released about Biden's plans in the area on Thursday.

Photo: Getty Images