Toronto - It was a low-key beginning but the first articles of impeachment have been filed by Democratic Representative, Bad Sherman, against US President, Donald Trump.
Toronto – It was a low-key beginning but the first articles of impeachment have been filed by Democratic Representative, Bad Sherman, against US President, Donald Trump.
Alleging that the president has “acted in a manner… subversive of constitutional government,” Sherman is claiming that Trump obstructed an official FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election by firing then-FBI Director, James Comey.
According to the articles filed by Sherman, “Such conduct warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.” Under US law, obstruction of justice is a felony offence and, under the US constitution, a president may be impeached on the grounds of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
There is one important catch, however, that of somehow getting the motion to pass the Republican-controlled House, before it can be placed into effect.
Support for an official impeachment has been slim, to say the least. So far, only one fellow Democratic Representative, namely Texan, Al Green, has come forward with a public endorsement of the move.
Sherman’s articles of impeachment include Comey’s claim that Trump asked him to drop the investigation into former foreign security adviser, Mike Flynn’s role in the Russian hacking affair, telling him to “let this go.” They also cite Trump’s subsequent firing of Comey and Trump’s comments to Russian officials afterwards that “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”
Sherman is realistic about the impeachment’s possible timeline, saying that rather, he hopes the papers he filed will force an “intervention” at the white House, which will possibly mitigate its “uncontrollable impulses.”
He went as far as to predict that Republican members of the House and Senate will eventually find themselves with no alternative but to turn on Trump by supporting the impeachment process. It remains to be seen if Sherman’s theory will play out.
Following Comey’s termination from his position as FBI Director, the US Department of Justice appointed Robert Mueller to head up an investigation into the Russia affair. He has yet to table any findings.
