Trump Impeachment Process Officially Ignited

Fact checked
Trump impeachment process begins

A top Democrat has official begun the impeachment process against President Donald Trump, by filing a “resolution of inquiry“. 

Congressman Jerrold Nadler on the House Judiciary Committee filed the inquiry on Thursday in a move that could be considered the first step towards the impeachment process.

Countable.us reports:

Nadler is the second ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, which responds to such filings. He offered the following statement on his resolution:

“Donald Trump has refused to step away from his business interests in any meaningful way. His foreign entanglements are likely unconstitutional, he has repeatedly refused to disclose his financial assets, and he is clouded by the specter of Russian intervention in the election and his Administration.”

What’s a resolution of inquiry?

According to official rules, the Judiciary Committee must respond to the resolution of inquiry within 14 legislative days, or Congressional workdays. The committee can either report the resolution favorably, reject it, or revise it.

If it chooses not to act within that time period, Congressman Nadler could request that the resolution be discharged (meaning it gets pulled out of committee) so that the House as a whole can then vote on it.

By rejecting a resolution of inquiry, the committee considering it isn’t necessarily saying that the subject of the inquiry is without merit or that the administration didn’t provide the requested information.

It could mean that the committee received what it asked for and that what it got is enough to bring the administration in compliance with the request, meaning that further action was unnecessary.

Only the House has the ability to file a resolution of inquiry, as there’s no counterpart in the Senate’s parliamentary rules.

Resolutions of inquiry are also given privileged status in the House, meaning that the House’s ordinary business can be interrupted so that they can be considered, although the House can still choose to give precedence to other matters through a majority vote.

Is Trump being impeached?

No. The resolution of inquiry only seeks information from the executive branch. Depending on the information uncovered by the inquiry, it could lead to broader calls for impeachment.

Nadler is seeking information related to investigations of Trump, his associates, his foreign business interests, and conflict of interest laws such as the emoluments clause of the Constitution.

As a reminder, impeachment involves the levying of charges against a government official who has committed “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” The indictment comes from the House, and if a majority of lawmakers support impeachment the case advances to the Senate.

The Senate then begins a trial with witnesses and cross-examinations, and a two-thirds majority is required to convict an official. In the event of a conviction, the official is immediately removed from office and could be barred from holding office in the future or face criminal prosecution.

3 Comments

  1. just further indication that the system is about to fall…..soon..damn shame..just when America found somebody that knows how to keep a promise..

  2. Trump getting impeached is about as likely as my getting hit by lighting on a clear day. This is pure war mongering. BS

    MEGA, Go PRESIDENT TRUMP!

  3. And I just checked, it takes at least 218 votes to impeach a President. With so many Republicans behind President Trump and so few Democrats in office; were do they think an impeachment vote will come from, the tooth fairy? The title is way out of line. The Impeachment process has started. One or two democrats whining and complaining or even starting the paper work is not a start; not one that is going anywhere. It is like saying I am starting the process of jumping to the moon since I am jumping to almost a foot high in my back yard. So many junk articles on this site… too bad.

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