Acquittal:

INSIDE:

WASHINGTON – The Senate on Wednesday acquitted President Donald Trump of abusing the power of his office and obstructing Congress’ investigation into his conduct, ending the third presidential impeachment trial in American history.

Republicans and Democrats had appeared to be marching toward an entirely party-line vote. But Sen. Mitt Romney, R-utah, the party’s presidential candidate eight years ago, became the only GOP lawmaker to join Democrats in voting to convict the president for what he called “an appalling abuse of public trust.”

For Trump, the Senate verdict allows him to declare victory as he turns toward a reelection bid. But unlike any president in modern history, he will run under the stigma having been impeached by the House – a move with unknown political consequence.

Moreover, although Romney stood alone among Republicans in voting to convict Trump, he had company among his party’s senators in rejecting Trump’s repeated claim that his actions

Local congressmen comment on impeachment acquittal.

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were “perfect.” More than a half dozen Republican senators have said they believe Trump’s actions regarding Ukraine were wrong, although they felt the conduct should not result in his removal from office.

The Senate voted 48-52 on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, and 47-53 on the second article, obstruction of justice. Romney voted against the second article. Both articles re

quired 67 votes for approval.

The House impeached Trump in December for withholding nearly $400 million in U.S. aid to Ukraine while pressing the country’s leaders to announce investigations into his political rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden.

Romney’s decision allows Democrats to claim bipartisan support – thin as it may be – for convicting Trump, and prevents the president from claiming his party was united in eschewing impeachment.

“Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is

perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine,” said Romney, speaking on the Senate floor before the vote.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff, DCalif., the lead House impeachment manager who presented the case to the Senate, said that Democrats will remain “vigilant” in their oversight of the president.

“There is a risk that he becomes even more unbounded,” Schiff said of Trump in an interview with the Los Angeles Times before the vote. “We succeeded in exposing his misconduct and stopping the plot, but his plotting continues and we’re going to have to be vigilant.”