Lesko: Democrats "have set an unbelievably dangerous precedent that will damage the country for years to come"

Statement

Today in the House Rules Committee hearing on H.Res.755, Impeaching Donald Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors, Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) submitted a statement for the record to Chairman Jim McGovern. Text of the statement is available here and below.

The articles of impeachment against President Trump brought forward by the Democrat majority is a travesty for our country. This impeachment process has been the most unfair, corrupt, politically biased railroad job I've seen in my entire life. Democrats are tearing our country apart with their sham impeachment, and they should be ashamed. Their actions have set an unbelievably dangerous precedent that will damage the country for years to come.

First, contrary to all previous impeachment hearings, Speaker Pelosi moved fact witness hearings to the Intelligence Committee where the President had no due process rights to cross examine the witnesses.

Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff conducted closed-door hearings in a basement room normally reserved for classified briefings, even though a vast majority of the testimony was not classified. Chairman Schiff repeatedly blocked Republican Members of Congress, including me, from entering the closed-door hearings so I could listen and question witnesses even though I am a member of the Judiciary Committee; the committee that voted on Articles of Impeachment. Chairman Schiff rejected Republican witness requests, silenced Republicans when they tried to ask witnesses questions, and constantly leaked selective details to the press.

Not until the hearings reached the Judiciary Committee did the Democrats allow the President to even have a chance to cross examine witnesses, but by then it was too late. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler blocked the President from any due process by refusing to bring forward any fact witnesses the President could cross examine, refused Republican witness requests and refused to schedule a minority hearing, violating House rules.

Here are the facts:

1. The Majority ignored exculpatory evidence yet proclaimed their "facts" as uncontested while Republicans and others were in fact, contesting their accusations and claims. In fact, the evidence uncovered in this inquiry shows the case for impeachment is incredibly weak and dangerously lowers the bar for future impeachments. The articles of impeachment we have before us are based on inferences built upon presumptions and hearsay. That is dangerous. It's neglectful and the precedent it creates is a travesty.

2. Not one of the Democrat's fact witnesses was able to identify a crime. Not one of the Democrat's fact witnesses established that President Trump committed bribery, treason or any high crime and misdemeanor, as required under the constitution.

3. It is apparent that many of my Democrat colleagues have wanted to impeach President Trump since he got elected. It is very telling that 17 out of the 24 Democrat members on the Judiciary Committee voted on the House floor to go forward with articles of impeachment on July 17, 2019, prior to the July 25th phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, which the Democrats claim is the basis for their impeachment.

4. For two years, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and other Democrats claimed that they had evidence that President Trump colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. After 22 months, 2,800 subpoenas, 500 warrants and over $25 million of taxpayer dollars spent, Special Counsel Robert Mueller determined that no American citizen, let alone President Trump, colluded with Russia proving Rep. Schiff and other Democrats wrong. Then my Democrat colleagues changed their accusations overnight and then again almost every day accusing President Trump of obstruction of justice, then quid pro quo, then bribery, then extortion, then witness tampering, and the list goes on. In the end, their Articles of Impeachment did not include any of these.

In closing, there is no evidence that the President committed an impeachable offense. Democrats have publicly stated that they wanted to impeach the President since his election and have been searching for anything to impeach him on for years, frequently changing their accusations and claims. This impeachment process has been politically biased, and utterly unfair.

As constitutional attorney, Jonathan Turley, stated in his testimony to the Judiciary Committee, "This would be the first impeachment in history where there would be considerable debate and, in my view, not compelling evidence of a commission of a crime. This impeachment not only fails to satisfy the standard of past impeachments but would create a dangerous precedent."

It is for these reasons and more that I voted no on the Articles of Impeachment in the Judiciary Committee and plan to vote no in Rules Committee and on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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