Independent Rep. Justin Amash , who previously served in the House as a member of the Republican Party, said in an interview with CNN that he was prepared to vote “yes” on three articles of impeachment
The comments come just days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she had directed the committees involved in the inquiry to draw up the articles against the president. Amash told Manu Raju, CNN senior congressional correspondent, that he would support three articles of impeachment: abuse of power, obstruction of Congress, and obstruction of justice.
“I think there is signifiant evidence for all three,” Amash said, per CNN . “Impeachment is like an indictment. There’s certainly probable cause to issue charges.”
CNN Host John King asked the CNN panel whether they believed Amash’s support of the articles of impeachment would have any impact on whether Pelosi would be able to suggest that there was bipartisan support for impeachment.
“Probably not a whole lot,” Melanie Zanona, POLITCO Congressional Reporter, told King. “They would rather have an actual Republican, and Republicans have abandoned Amash a long time ago. But for me, it’s a reminder of the one Republican who did support impeachment had to leave the party. There is just absolutely no room for criticism in Donald Trump’s party.”
As The Inquisitr reported in November, Amash – the first to call for President Trump’s impeachment when he was still a member of the Republican Party – recently called Congress a “ totally corrupt ” system. Amash argued that the legislative process was broken before the 45th president took office, though he said he believed issues with the system had been exacerbated since his election.
Amash, a vocal critic of the president, has claimed that the Republican Party has abandoned its core values in favor of supporting the actions of the president. Per a report from NBC News , the Michigan legislator officially left the GOP in July.
This is insane. pic.twitter.com/ERHXoQGqUS
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) October 16, 2019
Following Amash’s resignation from the Republican Party, the president – on the Fourth of July – tweeted in favor of Amash’s decision to leave, calling him one of the “dumbest” and “most disloyal” men in Congress. Amash first suggested that the president had committed impeachable offenses back in May, months before the current impeachment inquiry – sparked by the president’s reported withholding of funds to Ukraine amid requests for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden – came to light.
Great news for the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is “quitting” the Party. No Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his seat. A total loser!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019
As NBC News noted, the libertarian-leaning legislator was elected to Congress in 2010 during the Tea Party wave when Republicans were focused on cutting government spending and reducing the federal deficit. Amash reportedly clashed with the Republican Party over several key points during his time in the GOP.