Senate must uphold its duty on Trump trial

 

Last Wednesday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi named House prosecutors for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial ahead of votes to send the charges to the Senate.

The seven-member prosecution team is being led by the chairmen of the House impeachment proceedings, Reps. Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, two of Pelosi’s top lieutenants for only the third presidential impeachment in the nation’s history.

The managers are a diverse group with legal, law enforcement and military courtroom experience, including Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Sylvia Garcia of Texas, Val Demings of Florida, Jason Crow of Colorado and Zoe Lofgren of California. Both Jeffries and Demings are African American.

The House then voted to approve the team and transmit the articles of impeachment.

“Today is an important day,” said Pelosi, flanked by the team. “This is about the Constitution of the United States.”

Pelosi is right. This is an important moment in U.S. history.

Trump’s trial will be only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history, and it comes at a time with a politically divided nation in an election year.

Senators should uphold their oath of office and put country before the party by calling witnesses and seriously reviewing the evidence.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would be derelict in his duty if he continues to try to dismiss the charges as partisan and not look at all the evidence.

There is new information about the president’s Ukraine efforts, which has intensified pressure for more witnesses.

Schiff released new records from Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, about the Ukraine strategy including an exchange with another man about surveilling later-fired Ambassador Maria Yovanovitch.

Schiff is correct in saying the new evidence should bring more pressure on McConnell, who is reluctant to allow witnesses to testify.

“If McConnell makes this the first trial in history without witnesses, it will be exposed for what it is and that is an effort to cover up for the president,” Schiff said.

Trump was impeached by the Democratic-led House last month on charges of abuse of power over his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden as Trump withheld aid from the country. Trump was also charged with obstructing Congress’ ensuing probe.

The Senate will transform into an impeachment court and begin significant proceedings this week after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The Constitution calls for the chief justice to preside over senators, who serve as jurors and swear an oath to deliver “impartial justice.’’

Republicans control the chamber, 53-47, and are all but certain to acquit Trump without seriously looking at the evidence if voters do not hold them accountable.

The nation will be watching to see if the GOP-controlled Senate, which has been deferential to Trump, can deliver impartial justice.

Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune

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