House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Tuesday named nine impeachment managers who will be tasked with presenting a case to the Senate during an impeachment trial — including Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) who recently faced controversy after it was revealed he was having an alleged relationship with a Chinese honeytrap spy.
“A president’s greatest responsibility is to protect American lives and defend American ideals. Donald Trump has failed to do both. For the safety of all Americans and the continuity of our experiment in self-governance, Donald Trump must be removed from office,” Swalwell said in a statement.
“Tomorrow, I will join a bipartisan group of my colleagues in voting to impeach Donald Trump for inciting a deadly attack on the Capitol. It is a solemn privilege to be named an Impeachment Manager. I vow to work collaboratively with the Impeachment Managers team to make a case to the Senate for conviction and removal,” he added.
Swalwell, a member of the powerful House Intelligence Committee and Judiciary Committee was recently revealed to have been compromised over his relationship with Fang Fang, a suspected Chinese spy, and was facing calls to resign from the elite Intel panel. Last month, 17 GOP lawmakers sent a letter to Pelosi demanding Swalwell be stripped of his committee assignment. The House Speaker defended her fellow California Democrat, saying she doesn’t “have any concern,” and ignored GOP calls.
Pelosi tapped Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) who was responsible for drafting the resolution on the 25th amendment, as well as being one of the three co-sponsors of the impeachment resolution article in which the House is set to vote on Wednesday, as lead impeachment manager.
The rest of the impeachment managers team will include the other two co-sponsors of the impeachment resolution and Trump strident critics — Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, and Ted Lieu of California, as well as Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette of Colorado, Joaquin Castro of Texas, Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania.
“It is their constitutional and patriotic duty to present the case for the president’s impeachment and removal,” Pelosi said of the impeachment managers. “They will do so guided by their great love of country, determination to protect our democracy, and loyalty to our oath to the Constitution. Our Managers will honor their duty to defend democracy For The People with great solemnity, prayerfulness, and urgency.”
Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted the diversity of the new managers team, saying “7/9 are women, people of color or LGBTQ.” Swalwell and Raskin are the only two white and straight men.
This time around, Pelosi has select a new group of lawmakers that will be tasked with prosecuting the president this time around. The first set tapped by the House Speaker just a year ago led an unsuccessful impeachment attempt to convict the president in the Senate. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-NY) was appointed the lead impeachment manager with one of his fellow managers including Florida Democratic Rep. Val Demings.
The House is set to vote on the one article of impeachment Wednesday, charging Trump with “incitement of insurrection.” The impeachment article has overwhelming Democratic support along with 5 House GOP lawmakers who have said they intended to support and vote for the effort. If the impeachment is successful as expected, Trump will become the first president in history to be impeached twice.
25th AmendmentArticles of ImpeachmentCapitol RiotDrew HammillHouseImpeachmentImpeachment ManagersIncitement of InsurrectionPresident TrumpRep. David CicillineRep. Eric SwalwellRep. Jamie RaskinRep. Ted LieuSpeaker Nancy Pelosi
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