Impeach Trump? Congress Should Investigate, Rep. Sherrill Says

MONTCLAIR, NJ — U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill has joined with six other freshman Democratic leaders in a push for the possible impeachment of President Donald Trump.

On Monday night, Sherrill – a former federal prosecutor who represents New Jersey’s 11th District – issued a joint statement with Reps. Gil Cisneros of California, Jason Crow of Colorado, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.

New Jersey’s 11th District includes municipalities in Essex, Morris, Passaic and Sussex counties.

In their statement, the Congress members said that if true, recent accusations against Trump involving one of his presidential challengers in 2020, Joe Biden, are an “impeachable offense.”

Trump is accused of offering $250 million in stalled military aid to the president of Ukraine, under the condition that the country launches a probe into Biden and his family. Trump has denied the accusation, the Washington Post reported.

Sherrill and her colleagues said that the allegations facing Trump are “unprecedented.” According to the congress members:

“The president of the United States may have used his position to pressure a foreign country into investigating a political opponent, and he sought to use U.S. taxpayer dollars as leverage to do it. He allegedly sought to use the very security assistance dollars appropriated by Congress to create stability in the world, to help root out corruption and to protect our national security interests, for his own personal gain. These allegations are stunning, both in the national security threat they pose and the potential corruption they represent.”

The congress members continued:

“If these allegations are true, we believe these actions represent an impeachable offense. We do not arrive at this conclusion lightly, and we call on our colleagues in Congress to consider the use of all congressional authorities available to us, including the power of “inherent contempt” and impeachment hearings, to address these new allegations, find the truth and protect our national security.”

Sherrill offered some additional insight into her impeachment call on her Facebook page.

“I began serving my country when I was 18 years old and entered the U.S. Naval Academy. Part of the mission of the Academy is to imbue Midshipmen “with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty … to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.”

“I try to follow the lessons I learned there. Lessons of service to my country and to my fellow citizens, being willing to make sacrifices and hard choices when necessary, and knowing that it is never enough to claim that I did something because I was ordered to -- I always needed to ensure that what I was doing was just and legal.

“I recently spoke to students who were considering attending a military service academy. I reminded them that they were signing up to a lifetime of service, and the Vietnam Veterans that served as the Color Guard that day reminded us all that our service to our community never really ends. When I finished my military service, I went to work as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and now I am continuing my service in Congress.

“We are now faced with accusations from numerous sources that our President attempted to pressure a foreign government to investigate one of his rivals in the next presidential election. In other words, the President of the United States is attempting to “fix” the election.

“I think these accusations should be addressed with all of the tools at Congress’ disposal, including articles of impeachment. I did not run for Congress to impeach the President. I ran to make the lives of New Jerseyans better. I will continue to work hard to get rid of the SALT cap, lower healthcare costs, and get shovels in the ground for the Portal Bridge and the Gateway Tunnel. But I have long said that Congress is a co-equal branch of government and has Constitutional oversight duties as well as duties to legislate for Americans. The President of the United States is threatening our national security. I believe it is my responsibility as a Member of Congress to ensure that I protect our country from any and all threats, and that is what I intend to do.”

On Tuesday, Pelosi announced Congress is launching a formal impeachment inquiry, CNN reported.

“The president must be held accountable,” Pelosi said. “No one is above the law.”

BlueWaveNJ strongly supported a potential move to impeach Trump in the House of Representatives.

"This is a make-or-break moment for the House Democrats," the group wrote in an email. "The failure to begin impeachment proceedings would mean, simply, that Trump and subsequent Presidents can successfully get away with any abuse of power, no matter how blatant. This would set a precedent this nation might never recover from. Impeachment is the right thing to do, not only morally and as a matter of policy, but politically."

Local activist group NJ 11th For Change offered strong words in favor of Sherrill.

"Our representative, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, is not an alarmist," the group stated. "For over two years, she has been cautious, deliberate, and consistent in her views about impeachment."

The group continued:

"While many New Jersey residents are celebrating a feeling of validation now that the Congresswoman has come around to their position, we are chilled both by the Congresswoman’s words and by what was left unsaid. Impeachment and the charge of 'inherent contempt' are extraordinary tools that should be used sparingly to preserve their power. We recognize that the situation must be worse than many imagine to lead our cautious, methodical Congresswoman to join with other moderate and conservative Democrats in a call for these extraordinary remedies."

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