Schiff: Amash criticism not enough for impeachment

WASHINGTON — A key Democrat said Sunday that Republican Rep. Justin Amash’s sharp criticism of what he called President Donald Trump’s “impeachable conduct” in the Russia investigation isn’t enough to count as bipartisan support to launch impeachment proceedings.

But House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff nevertheless warned that Democrats were still on that potential path to force White House cooperation with the various congressional investigations into Trump’s conduct.

“It provides an additional tool,” the California Democrat said. “What we have been doing is we have been gradually escalating the tactics we need to use to get information for the American people. So we began by asking for voluntary cooperation, and that was not forthcoming. We followed with subpoenas, we followed with contempt. We may follow with inherent contempt, and we may have to follow with impeachment.”

Amash, R-Mich., on Saturday became the first member of Trump’s party on Capitol Hill to accuse him of engaging in “impeachable conduct” stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller’s lengthy investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. He’s often a lone GOP voice in Congress.

On Sunday, Trump blasted Amash as a “loser who sadly plays right into our opponents hands!”

“Never a fan of @justinamash, a total lightweight who opposes me and some of our great Republican ideas and policies just for the sake of getting his name out there through controversy,” Trump tweeted.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, praised Amash’s “courageous statement” but said he didn’t believe there was enough evidence in the Mueller report to show that Trump obstructed justice.