MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says despite his close involvement in Ukraine issues at the center of an investigation into President Donald Trump, he won’t recuse himself if there is a Senate impeachment trial. Johnson says that he would “never even consider” stepping aside. He says, “I represent the people that elected me. Those individuals deserve a voice and my vote in the process.” Johnson also says he would be “happy” to provide his firsthand knowledge of events and conversations involving Ukraine to U.S. House members conducting the impeachment probe. The Democratic-led investigation centers on whether Trump improperly pushed Ukraine officials to investigate Trump’s Democratic political rival, Joe Biden, and Democratic activities in the 2016 election. Johnson has a unique role in the probe because of meetings and conversations he had related to Ukraine as chair of the foreign relations subcommittee on Europe and a member of the Senate’s Ukraine Caucus.
