By Michael Hernandez
The secret “unofficial” Trump impeachment inquiry is unconstitutional because witnesses testify behind closed doors many times without Republicans present and if present; with no opportunity to cross-examine.
On Sunday, House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) when challenged on running secret hearings by Margaret Brennan of CBS “Face the Nation” responded: “There’s a reason why investigations and grand jury proceedings for example, and I think this is analogous to a grand jury proceeding, are done out of the public view initially,” Mr. Schiff said. “Now we may very well call some of the same witnesses or all the same witnesses in public hearings as well. But we want to make sure that we meet the needs of the investigation and not give the President or his legal minions the opportunity to tailor their testimony and in some cases fabricate testimony to suit their interests.”
Who is fabricating?
This is the congressman who has already been caught fabricating (lying twice already; see Citizens Journal story: https://www.citizensjournal.us/election-2020-countdown-395-days-oct-5-u-s-house-impeach-inquiry-being-led-by-lying-adam-schiff-ca-28-dem/) responsible for an impeachment inquiry to remove a President elected in 2016 by 63 million Americans. Actually, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi chose Rep. Adam Schiff over Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (who normally would preside over an impeachment proceeding) because she wanted “her man” to go after President Donald J. Trump.
In an editorial board post made by the Wall Street Journal later Sunday: “A grand jury? As Mr. Schiff knows, a grand jury is a criminal proceeding. Impeachment is a political process in which the House defines the meaning of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors.’
“Mr. Schiff wants it both ways: Run his secret hearings like a criminal grand jury, but then impeach Mr. Trump of political offenses even if the President committed no crime…Oh, and he says contrary evidence will be fabricated—an accusation of a crime in advance but with no evidence. With his every statement and action, Mr. Schiff is making Mr. Trump’s case that this impeachment is a rigged game.”
(Editor’s Note: Read more at https://www.wsj.com/articles/adam-schiffs-grand-jury-11571003444)
Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY) says that so far Americans have witnessed: cherry picked leaks, withheld facts, and outright lies.
Lawyer, radio host and best selling author Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice (see https://www.citizensjournal.us/jordan-sekulow-we-told-you-the-deep-state-is-coming-for-him/) the “deep-state actors” are not done. “Nancy Pelosi announced her phony impeachment inquiry and the phony whistleblower went to Adam Schiff before (filing) a complaint” due to their “hatred of President Trump and the conservative values” that he is implementing.
Rep. Adam Schiff is now claiming the President’s “call record is the best evidence” (not his fake rendition of the July 5 telephone call between the President and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky) a remark which Jordan Sekulow called “a conversion moment” in his Monday radio broadcast and President Trump has asked his lawyers to “sue” Schiff (see Citizens Journal posting of Oct. 12: https://www.citizensjournal.us/trump-tells-lawyers-sue-schiff-in-speech-to-christian-conservatives-explains-reason-for-exiting-syria/).
Meanwhile, the impeachment scam proceeding is now focused on obstruction charges since the White House is refusing to allow members of the administrative branch to testify before Congress. The White House has called for a full vote by House members in regards to an impeachment proceedings—something that was done in the Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton impeachment investigations but has not been done with Donald Trump.
The Democrats know that such a vote would make an official record and possibly cost the Democrats seats in regions of the country where the President won the vote even with Democrats winning congressional seats in these areas. The Democrats also know that this would open up the “secret” hearings into public and transparent impeachment proceedings—allowing for cross examination and for Republicans to subpoena their own witnesses.
It is quite obvious that Democrats only like “one-sided proceedings” and the U.S. Constitution is invalid when it does not support their actions. This is a sham, unconstitutional charade that is setting a dangerous precedent of a “perpetual impeachment proceeding” not only against President Donald J. Trump but for any future U.S. president.
(Editor’s Note: 2020 Election Countdown is a political column focusing on both issues and candidates running for office. The goal is to inform voters, inspire political activism, as well as engage “We the People” into the public square.)
Michael Hernandez, Co-Founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service; editor of the History Makers Report and founder of History Makers International—a community nonprofit serving youth and families in Ventura County, is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. He has worked 25 years as a middle school teacher in Monrovia and Los Angeles Unified School Districts. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted by email at [email protected].
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