Trump’s actions on obstruction, immigration and abuse of power prompt call

Harrisburg – June 20, 2018 – Sen. Art Haywood (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) said today that he has introduced a resolution asking the state Senate to call on Congress to draft and adopt articles of impeachment for President Donald J. Trump.

 

“President Trump has consistently shown dereliction of duty and unfitness in the ability to hold the position of President of the United States of America,” Haywood said.  “I urge Congress to immediately draft and adopt articles of impeachment for Donald J. Trump.”

In his resolution, Haywood highlights six impeachable offenses perpetrated by President Trump:

  • attempt to corrupt, impede, and obstruct justice by firing former FBI director James Comey after learning that the FBI would be investigating Trump campaign’s interactions with Russia;
  • dereliction of duty by failing to protect the United States through his consistent lack of action to condemn, prevent, or punish Russian or other foreign interference, despite repeated warnings from the nation’s high-ranking intelligence community;
  • unfitness to serve as President by continuously and purposely making false, baseless, and misleading statements to deceive the people of the United States, violating public trust, threatening relationships with our allies, and dishonoring the Presidential office;
  • corruption of the Office through violating the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution by continuing receipt of payments from foreign governments for his hotels and businesses;
  • abusing the power of the presidency by targeting vulnerable minority and immigrant populations living in, or seeking to come to, the United States through travel bans for majority Muslim nations, offensive, derogatory, and racist comments about immigrant populations, and the refusal to condemn white nationalist movements in the United States; and
  • demonstrating consistent malfeasance and abuse of office such as an unceasing propaganda campaign against the Justice Department, the FBI and media plus using the power of the Presidency to attack Federal judges, law enforcement, and government officials with false charges.

“During his past year and a half in office, President Trump has been credibly accused of abusing the power of the presidency, misleading the American people with baseless and false claims, and obstructing our system of justice,” Haywood said. “The allegations against President Trump merit immediate investigation through an impeachment inquiry by Congress.”

The guidelines of impeachment are established in Section 4, Article II of the United States Constitution.  It provides procedures in which a president can be removed from office.  Removal from office can be sought for reasons of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Haywood said that checks-and-balances of Congress on presidential abuse of power is clear and it is an essential aspect of our democracy.  He said that our forefathers empowered Congress to investigate those in public office who violate public trust and act against their sworn oath of office.

“President Trump’s hostility to American values and his corruption of the Presidency on the national, and international stage, requires the immediate action of Congress as means to protect the people of the United States and reclaim our core principles.”

In a Senate floor speech today, Haywood outlined his reasoning in asking for the articles to be drafted.  He said the president is “grossly unfit” for office and purposefully “deceives the American people.”

Haywood also cited Trump’s recent action endorsing a “zero-tolerance” policy that resulted in thousands of children being separated from their parents as a reason for the call for impeachment.

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