Letter to my senators: An open and thorough impeachment process
Dear Senator Gardner, | Dear Senator Bennet,
I’d like to thank you for your cosponsorship of S.151, the TRACED act enacting tougher penalties for robocallers and supporting a framework for better detection and prevention of caller ID spoofing. This bipartisan bill shows that Congress can work together to defend the American people against shady practices that undermine public trust.
I’m writing you today regarding another subject of questionable behavior by powerful individuals that violate public trust. The Senate will hold impeachment hearings this month and the American people deserve an open, detailed, and impartial accounting of the accused’s high crimes and misdemeanors. The impeachment trial should be thorough and factual so that the public can understand what transpired, what crimes have and have not been committed, and hold our elected officials accountable.
In addition to the two articles of impeachment passed by the House, I am concerned about a pattern of disregard for the law and for the Constitution exhibited by the current administration, including the president himself. The Mueller report said “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment. The evidence we obtained about the President’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.” Given the Justice Department’s conclusion that a sitting president cannot be indicted, this was a pretty clear indication that President Trump obstructed justice. It is up to Congress to take action on this illegal action by the President.
Furthermore, I am concerned that President Trump is in violation of Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution forbidding the President and others from accepting gifts and emoluments from foreign states. President Trump’s businesses are not held in a blind trust; this opens the President to potential influence by payments and business deals with foreign leaders, a state of affairs that worried the Constitution’s framers. The American people deserve a clear and honest examination of whether the President has thus violated the Constitution.
As we reflect this week on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., I am reminded that it is at times of trial and tribulation that we learn of a person’s true character. Dr. King urged us to rise to the vision of the founding fathers, a nation based on the rule of law that judges people based on their character, not their skin color or party affiliation. I urge you to set politics aside and push Majority Leader McConnell to hold an open and fair trial with lots of sworn testimony, ideally including testimony from President Trump himself. It is an important principle of American justice that a man has a chance to testify at his own trial.
Thank you for your service to the people of Colorado,
Trevor Stone
This entry was originally posted at https://flwyd.dreamwidth.org/391083.html - comment over there.
I’d like to thank you for your cosponsorship of S.151, the TRACED act enacting tougher penalties for robocallers and supporting a framework for better detection and prevention of caller ID spoofing. This bipartisan bill shows that Congress can work together to defend the American people against shady practices that undermine public trust.
I’m writing you today regarding another subject of questionable behavior by powerful individuals that violate public trust. The Senate will hold impeachment hearings this month and the American people deserve an open, detailed, and impartial accounting of the accused’s high crimes and misdemeanors. The impeachment trial should be thorough and factual so that the public can understand what transpired, what crimes have and have not been committed, and hold our elected officials accountable.
In addition to the two articles of impeachment passed by the House, I am concerned about a pattern of disregard for the law and for the Constitution exhibited by the current administration, including the president himself. The Mueller report said “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment. The evidence we obtained about the President’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.” Given the Justice Department’s conclusion that a sitting president cannot be indicted, this was a pretty clear indication that President Trump obstructed justice. It is up to Congress to take action on this illegal action by the President.
Furthermore, I am concerned that President Trump is in violation of Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution forbidding the President and others from accepting gifts and emoluments from foreign states. President Trump’s businesses are not held in a blind trust; this opens the President to potential influence by payments and business deals with foreign leaders, a state of affairs that worried the Constitution’s framers. The American people deserve a clear and honest examination of whether the President has thus violated the Constitution.
As we reflect this week on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., I am reminded that it is at times of trial and tribulation that we learn of a person’s true character. Dr. King urged us to rise to the vision of the founding fathers, a nation based on the rule of law that judges people based on their character, not their skin color or party affiliation. I urge you to set politics aside and push Majority Leader McConnell to hold an open and fair trial with lots of sworn testimony, ideally including testimony from President Trump himself. It is an important principle of American justice that a man has a chance to testify at his own trial.
Thank you for your service to the people of Colorado,
Trevor Stone
This entry was originally posted at https://flwyd.dreamwidth.org/391083.html - comment over there.