Impeachment show ready to roll
The Senate trial to determine whether Donald Trump should be removed from office over the Ukraine scandal will begin in earnest next week, after the Democrats finally agreed to hand over two articles of impeachment.
The House of Representatives voted yesterday by 228 to 193 to send across the articles passed before Christmas to the Senate, marking the start of a new chapter of ignominy for Trump.
He now becomes only the third US president in history to face a trial that could see his removal from the White House. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, the other two, were kept in place.
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker, had been resisting transmitting the articles for weeks in an attempt to secure what she called a ‘‘fair trial’’ in the Senate, but has relented.
Yesterday, she announced the seven Democratic congressmen who would make the case for the prosecution in the Senate, led by Adam Schiff of California, a former US attorney.
‘‘What is at stake here is the constitution of the United States,’’ Pelosi said, stressing that her congressmen would approach the task in a ‘‘very serious’’ and ‘‘very solemn’’ way.
She summed up the events that triggered impeachment – Trump’s attempt to make Ukraine investigate Joe Biden, his presidential rival, while holding back almost US$400 million (NZ$600m) in military aid. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
‘‘The president violated his oath of office, undermined our national security, jeopardised the integrity of our elections [and] tried to use the appropriations process as his private ATM machine to withhold funds granted by Congress in order to advance his personal and political advantage,’’ she said.
Trump’s defence will be put forward primarily by his lawyers. Pat Cipollone, who has fought impeachment as White House counsel, will take the lead while Jay Sekulow, who has represented Trump for years, is also expected to play a part.
The trial, while political in nature, will resemble court proceedings. John Roberts, the Supreme Court’s chief -justice, will sit as judge while the 100 US senators act as a jury.
They are expected to be sworn in tomorrow.
Up for discussion are two articles of impeachment – for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The Senate will decide whether to convict and remove the president. However, that looks unlikely. The Republicans, Trump’s party, hold the Senate majority and 67 of the 100 senators have to vote for removal for it to be binding. – Telegraph Group