Michigan Congressman Calls For Impeachment Proceedings Against Donald Trump
Michigan congressman Andy Levin has called for impeachment proceedings to be brought against Donald Trump, according to WXYZ Detroit.
Levin joins an increasing number of Democratic lawmakers who are calling for Trump’s removal from office following the release of the Mueller report. As reported earlier by The Inquisitr, the report suggested that Trump had not been charged with crimes owing to regulations of the Justice Department, which makes it impossible for a sitting president to be tried in court. Legal experts have argued that Mueller has effectively called on lawmakers to introduce an impeachment inquiry against Trump, but top Democratic lawmakers have so far expressed hesitation in following that path. Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not ruled out impeachment categorically, she has made it clear that Democrats are looking to unseat Trump in the 2020 presidential elections and not before that.
But the decision of the party’s leadership seems to have had no effect on Levin, who said at a town hall in Berkeley that his duties entailed impeaching a president who had lost the trust of the electorate.
“When I became a member of the 116th Congress, I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Today, I announce that I have concluded that the House has a duty to open an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Donald J. Trump,” he said in a statement.
Another Democratic lawmaker coming out saying he supports Trump impeachment inquiry. https://t.co/fclQM9ngy7
— Mid-Michigan NOW (@midmichigannow) June 15, 2019
Levin went on to cite the Mueller report in his statement, saying the special counsel investigation had made it clear that Trump had attempted to thwart the course of justice more than 10 times by firing or attempting to fire people who were investigating him. He said that Trump’s shady business dealings and a clear conflict of interest should be enough reasons for impeachment proceedings to be brought against him.
“Mr. Trump has been violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution each and every day since he took office,” Levin said in the statement.
“His intertwining of his business dealings with governance and his profiting off his office are beyond improper. His refusal to share information about his taxes prevents the public from knowing the nature and extent of his conflicts of interest.”
Although it appears unlikely that impeachment proceedings will actually be brought against Trump, the calls to remove him have only amplified over the last few days. On Saturday, a number of public policy groups organized more than 100 rallies in different American cities where Democratic leaders including Elizabeth Warren and Rashida Tlaib made the case for Trump’s impeachment.
