On Monday, Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) debunked Trump’s defense point by point and laid out the case for impeachment.
Justin Amash Lays Out The Case For Impeachment
Amash tweeted:
1. They say there were no underlying crimes.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
In fact, there were many crimes revealed by the investigation, some of which were charged, and some of which were not but are nonetheless described in Mueller’s report.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
2. They say obstruction of justice requires an underlying crime.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
In fact, obstruction of justice does not require the prosecution of an underlying crime, and there is a logical reason for that. Prosecutors might not charge a crime precisely *because* obstruction of justice denied them timely access to evidence that could lead to a prosecution.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
If an underlying crime were required, then prosecutors could charge obstruction of justice only if it were unsuccessful in completely obstructing the investigation. This would make no sense.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
3. They imply the president should be permitted to use any means to end what he claims to be a frivolous investigation, no matter how unreasonable his claim.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
In fact, the president could not have known whether every single person Mueller investigated did or did not commit any crimes.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
4. They imply “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” requires charges of a statutory crime or misdemeanor.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
In fact, “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” is not defined in the Constitution and does not require corresponding statutory charges. The context implies conduct that violates the public trust—and that view is echoed by the Framers of the Constitution and early American scholars.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 20, 2019
Rep. Amash isn’t backing down
After Trump attacked Rep. Amash, he did not back down. The Republican congressman laid out in detail for the entire nation to see why Trump committed crimes and should be impeached. Justin Amash could have done what so many of his fellow Republicans have done when bullied by Trump. Amash could have caved and walked it back.
Instead, he is doubling down, challenging the corruption, and trying to protect democracy.
Rep. Amash is showing Republicans the way. Here is hoping that more of them go public and follow his lead.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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