A group of six Democratic House members introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, claiming the president has violated federal law and the public trust, and should be charged with high crimes and misdemeanors.
Democratic Reps. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Al Green of Texas, and Adriano Espaillat of New York introduced five articles of impeachment at a press conference at the Capitol Wednesday. The articles have two more co-sponsors: Reps. Marcia Fudge of Ohio and John Yarmuth of Kentucky.
The congressmen list a number of charges against the president, including obstruction of justice, a violation of the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause, a violation of the Constitution’s domestic emoluments clause, undermining the federal judiciary process, and undermining the press.
The articles focus primarily on Trump’s handing of the termination of former FBI Director James Comey, and potential conflicts of interest with Trump’s businesses and properties while he’s served as president.
Cohen said they are simply calling for the House to begin hearings on the articles.
“We believe that President Trump has violated the Constitution, and we’ve introduced five articles of impeachment,” Cohen, the ranking member of the House Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution and civil justice, said.
The Tennessee congressman also said there are at least “a dozen other members who are close” to joining them in calling for Trump’s impeachment.
Cohen said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi understands why they are bringing forth the articles, even though she does not agree.
Pelosi said in early November that impeachment is “not someplace that I think we should go,” and that Democrats should be focusing “first and foremost” on trying to “unify the nation.”
Republicans are currently focused on pushing tax reform through Congress before the clock runs out on the 2017 legislative calendar.
“House Democrats lack a positive message and are completely unwilling to work across the aisle, so instead they’ve decided to support a baseless radical effort that the vast majority of Americans disagree with. Republicans are focused on issues the middle class actually cares about, like cutting taxes and growing the economy,” Michael Ahrens, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement to The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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