Rep. Ken Buck: “You believe that you could charge the President of the United States with obstruction of justice after he left office?”
Brianna Wu
Special Counsel Mueller: “Yes.”
And then later...
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff: “The (Trump) campaign welcomed the Russian help, did they not?”
Special Counsel Mueller: “Yes.”
With one simple word, "yes," former Special Counsel Robert Mueller was issuing a call to action to Congress.
Mueller's testimony, and the Mueller Report itself, leads to only one undeniable conclusion – the House of Representatives must begin impeachment proceedings against this president.
Robert Mueller has clearly indicated that President Trump would be indicted for obstruction if he were not the president, and that the Russians are still interfering with our elections. Why wouldn't they after Trump welcomed them to do so?
The Mueller Report alludes to 10 occasions of possible obstruction of justice by President Trump, and that he invited Russian meddling in our elections. As of this writing, a majority of Democrats in the House support the commencement of impeachment proceedings, including six members from the Massachusetts delegation, and the numbers are growing every day. But my opponent, Stephen Lynch, thinks Democrats still need to "make the case” and that impeachment proceedings would be just Democrats “blowing off steam.” He either isn’t paying attention or is totally missing the point.
This isn’t about politics or what is good for the Democratic Party in the next election. This is about the rule of law and preserving our democracy.
Article 2, Section 4 of the Constitution states, “The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on Impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and Misdemeanors.”
The most recent example of impeachment, of course, is that of President William Jefferson Clinton in 1998. President Clinton was charged with two articles of impeachment for lying under oath and obstruction of justice. Although the House did impeach, the Senate did not convict, thus preventing Clinton’s removal from office. Yes, the process was rife with political posturing. But, the process allowed by the Constitution was nonetheless initiated, as it should have been. There was evidence of Clinton’s offenses, and it was right and proper for him to be held accountable by the legislative branch. An argument could be made that the crimes President Clinton committed may pale in comparison to those of President Trump. Clinton’s were ultimately of a personal nature. Trump’s potential crimes may have affected the very foundation of our democracy.
The findings of the Mueller Report point toward the real possibility that Donald Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors in multiple counts of obstruction of justice, as well -- yes -- treason, by encouraging and accepting foreign interference in our elections. It is now the responsibility of the House to begin the impeachment process to determine if the evidence warrants articles of impeachment. That is how Congress “makes the case.” And, more importantly, Congress must begin this process to preserve the rule of law provided to us by the U.S. Constitution and to show that no president, regardless of party, is above the law.
As a candidate for Congress in the 8th District, I can assure you that, if I were in office, my name would be on the list calling for the proceedings to begin. We need representatives in Congress who will put the country before politics. As a congresswoman, I will not be afraid to hold the executive branch accountable, no matter who is in office or from what party.
This process is absolutely necessary to the health of our democracy.
To that end, I’m delivering a petition to the House leadership to begin impeachment proceedings. If you agree with me that the rule of law needs to be preserved, please sign it by going here.
Congress, please do your constitutional duty and begin impeachment proceedings against this President.
Brianna Wu is a candidate for Congress in the Massachusetts 8th district. She lives in Dedham, MA.