White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham appears on Fox News morning broadcast to discuss Speaker Nancy Pelosi holding back the articles of impeachment.
Unfortunately I have seen ZERO discussion about the obvious strategic legal benefits for Pelosi to withhold those articles. No-one seems to be paying attention to how those articles of impeachment have influence inside ongoing court cases.
This is interesting. Last year Speaker Pelosi used the SOU invite to play out political games against President Trump. This year, considering the political impeachment effort, I thought she would be likely to replay that scheme; but she didn’t. This implies the private polling and public sentiment (ie. bbacklash) against her constituent democrats must be much more severe than is currently visible:
Per Hogan Gidley: President Donald J. Trump has accepted the Speaker’s invitation to deliver the State of the Union Address on February 4, 2020.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham appears on Fox News after a meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office. Senator Graham states President Trump is “mad as hell” and “demanding his day in court” in the Senate.
Earlier today President Trump held a press availability in the oval office to welcome former democrat representative Jeff Van Drew into the republican party. Congressman Van Drew left the Democrat party as a result of the House impeachment fiasco.
[Video and Transcript Below]
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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. We have a very big announcement, to me. I think it’s been many years — I hear 10 years, maybe more — where Jeff Van Drew, highly respected — in fact, I didn’t know, as a Democrat, how you could have won in that district. I know the district very well. But that is a great tribute to you. But Jeff will be joining the Republican Party. (more…)
As expected the House of Representatives has passed the USMCA trade agreement with an overwhelming 385 to 41 vote. Pelosi’s political objective was to use USMCA to water down the toxic political environment created by her impeachment fiasco:
Also as expected, after passing the USMCA the House went into immediate recess for the Christmas holiday without any movement on the fraudulent impeachment articles.
In the time-frame between today and the return to the next congressional session in January, House lawyers will attempt to use the passage of the articles to support their background court cases: (1) McGahn forced deposition; (2) access to Mueller 6(e) grand jury information; and (3) possible access to Trump family financial records.
[PREDICTION for bookmark: Upon return in January Speaker Pelosi will refuse to allow impeached President Trump to deliver a State of the Union address in the House.] (more…)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to questions and concerns about the construct of a heavily partisan impeachment process and her refusal to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
Highlighting the tenuous nature of the position now held by her party, a barely coherent Speaker Pelosi attempts to explain. As reporters ask questions, Pelosi becomes frustrated and tells the compliant media no more questions on impeachment will be entertained.
A day after impeaching the President, the Speaker of the House refuses to answer questions. [Video prompted to presser portion at 11:50 – watch until 14:00]
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As noted by Jay Sekulow, the House portion of the impeachment effort is finished. The constitution does not outline rules, managers, and delivery methods. Once the House votes to impeach, they are finished. The Senate has full control now.
The Senate can begin their trial phase at any time and call for presentation of articles by the House. If no-one shows up, case dismissed. Pelosi/House has no role in next phase. (more…)
After the House of Representatives passed two partisan articles of impeachment, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rises to deliver a speech from the upper chamber of congress.
Last night, House Democrats passed the thinnest, weakest presidential impeachment in American history. Now they’re suggesting they are too afraid to even submit their accusations to the Senate and go to trial. The prosecutors are getting cold feet in front of the entire country. ~ Mitch McConnell
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[Transcript] – Last night House Democrats finally did what they decided to do long ago: They voted to impeach President Trump.
‘Over the last 12 weeks, House Democrats have conducted the most rushed, least thorough, and most unfair impeachment inquiry in modern history. (more…)
It does not seem accidental the hastily defined two articles of impeachment mirror the arguments needed in two lower court cases brought by the House Judiciary Committee.
It is likely both articles of impeachment, “Abuse of Power” and “Obstruction“, are designed to support pending HJC court cases seeking: (1) former White House Counsel Don McGahn testimony; and (2) grand jury evidence from the Mueller investigation.
Because the full House did not originally vote to authorize articles of impeachment the House Judiciary Committee never gained ‘judicial enforcement authority‘. The absence of judicial enforcement authority was evident in the lack of enforcement authority in House subpoenas.
The House could not hold anyone in contempt of congress for not appearing because they did not carry recognized judicial enforcement authority. Additionally downstream consequences from that original flaw have surfaced in cases working through courts.
There is an argument to be made the rushed House articles are a means to an end. That is – a way for House lawyers to argue in court all of the constitutionally contended material is required as evidence for pending judicial proceedings, a trial in the Senate. (more…)
The entire House effort to impeach President Donald Trump has been a one-sided partisan effort; built upon a foundation of manipulation of process and dismissal of the minority rights throughout.
After the House voted along party lines, and in an act of stunning hubris, Speaker Pelosi now declares she will withhold the articles of impeachment until the Senate makes rules that she determines will be “fair” to the prosecution. [Video at 09:00 prompted]
Seemingly overlooked by most, when the House voted on the ‘rules of impeachment’ they removed the traditional appointment of House Managers to a later date.
Normally the House Managers would be appointed at the same time as the impeachment vote; however, by withholding the appointment House Democrats are indicating they will not immediately send articles of impeachment to the senate but will rather hold the articles as support for pending court cases toward their judicial authority.
A cunning Lawfare ploy.
As interested observers will note the House never voted to authorize the full judicial impeachment process; instead they voted to approve an inquiry into whether an impeachment should take place. By not voting to authorize articles of impeachment the House never gained ‘judicial enforcement authority‘. The absence of judicial authority is now working its way through the courts in various cases.
It appears the absence of appointing House impeachment managers; and the decision to withhold sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate; is now a specific design.
As the process appears to be unfolding, the Lawfare contracted lawyers representing the House: chief legal counsel Douglas Letter, Barry Berke, Norm Eisen and Daniel Goldman will now argue before the courts that all of the constitutionally contended material is required as evidence for a pending judicial proceeding, a trial in the Senate. (more…)