Democratic calls for Donald Trump impeachment pick up after Mueller's first public remarks
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Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes his first public statements on the Russia investigation.
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Democratic calls for an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump increased Wednesday after special counsel Robert Mueller weighed in for the first time on his two-year investigation of the president and Russian interference in the 2016 election.Â
Democrats zeroed in on Mueller’s comment that charging Trump with obstruction of justice was “not an option” for the special counsel’s office because of a Justice Department policy. Several argued that it was now the task of Congress to hold the president accountable by starting an impeachment inquiry.Â
But party leaders appeared to be staying firm in their quest to investigate the president without focusing on impeaching him, a move they have said would be divisive and could hurt Democrats in future elections.Â
Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reiterated that Democrats would remain focused on oversight efforts of the president and his administration.Â
“The Special Counsel’s report revealed that the President’s campaign welcomed Russian interference in the election, and laid out eleven instances of the President’s obstruction of the investigation,” Pelosi said in a statement. “The Congress holds sacred its constitutional responsibility to investigate and hold the President accountable for his abuse of power. “The Congress will continue to investigate and legislate to protect our elections and secure our democracy.”
Schumer agreed with Pelosi, saying that Mueller’s comments made “clear that Congress has a right – we believe an obligation – to continue our constitutionally mandated oversight without interference or stonewalling and follow the facts wherever they may lead.”
First Mueller statement: Robert Mueller, in first public remarks, says charging Trump was ‘not an option we could consider’
Read the full statement: Full text of Robert Mueller’s comments on the Russia investigation, Trump
Trump responds: ‘The case is closed!’
But that didn’t stop a flurry of calls from Democratic lawmakers across the country who argued Mueller’s comments merited the start of impeachment proceedings.Â
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., was one of them, arguing that impeachment was necessary in order to “deliver the truth to the American people.” He added that while Mueller’s comments didn’t differ from what he wrote in his lengthy report, “it serves as an urgent reminder that Congress must uphold its constitutional duty to act as a co-equal branch of government and conduct oversight of the Executive Branch.”
Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Penn., who has been cautious on calling for the drastic step, said Mueller’s comments made it clear that it was “time to officially start impeachment hearings.”Â
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., agreed, saying, “endorsing such a course is not easy, and I do not do so lightly, but I believe that the President has left Congress no other option but to pursue it.”
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![Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and his wife Ann, leave St. John's Episcopal Church, across from the White House, after attending morning services, in Washington on March 24, 2019.]()
1 of 20![Robert Mueller departs St. John's Episcopal Church, across from the White House, after attending services, in Washington on March 24, 2019.]()
2 of 20![Robert Mueller, and his wife Ann, walk past the White House, after attending St. John's Episcopal Church for morning services on March 24, 2019 in Washington.]()
3 of 20![Robert Mueller, and his wife Ann, walk to their car after attending services at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington on March 24, 2019.]()
4 of 20![U.S. Attorney General William Barr, right, leaves his house on March 24, 2019 in McLean, Va. Barr continues to review special counsel Robert Mueller's report on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.]()
5 of 20![An empty hallway at the U.S. Capitol on Saturday morning, March 23, 2019 in Washington, DC. Special Counsel Robert Muellerdelivered the report from his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election to Barr yesterday and Barr is expected to brief members of Congress on the report potentially as soon as this weekend.]()
6 of 20![U.S. Attorney General William Barr departs his home March 23, 2019 in McLean, Va.]()
7 of 20![William Simms places newspaper front pages from around the nation in display cases at the Newseum, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Washington.]()
8 of 20![The U.S. Capitol is seen before sunrise, Saturday, March 23, 2019, in Washington. Special counsel Robert Mueller closed his long and contentious Russia investigation with no new charges, ending the probe that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency.]()
9 of 20![A bicyclist passes by the Justice Department on Pennsylvania Ave. where the media is set up, March 23, 2019 in Washington, DC.]()
10 of 20![U.S. Attorney General William Barr rides in the first black vehicle while arriving at the Justice Department on March 23, 2019 in Washington, DC.]()
11 of 20![Members of the press wait outside one of the office buildings used by independent prosecutor and former FBI director Robert Mueller on March 22, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump went on air Friday to double down on his attempt to discredit a massive probe into his campaign's links to Russia, which is expected to be released shortly. Ever since the investigation run by independent prosecutor and former FBI director Robert Mueller began nearly two years ago Trump has insisted that it is a witch hunt and a hoax.]()
12 of 20![A lone demonstrator departs after protesting outside the US Department of Justice March 22, 2019 in Washington, DC, shortly after the announcement that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had wrapped up his two-year investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.]()
13 of 20![Bodyguards wait for the departure of the US attorney General outside the US Department of Justice March 22, 2019 in Washington, DC, shortly after the announcement that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had wrapped up his two-year investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.]()
14 of 20![A copy of a letter from Attorney General William Barr advising Congress that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has concluded his investigation, is shown Friday, March 22, 2019 in Washington. Robert Mueller turned over his long-awaited final report on the contentious Russia investigation that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency, entangled Trump's family and resulted in criminal charges against some of the president's closest associates.]()
15 of 20![Journalists work outside of the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building after the announcement that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had submitted his report to Attorney General William Barr, March 22, 2019 in Washington, DC. U.S. Attorney General William Barr told the House and Senate Judiciary Committees in a letter that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had completed his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.]()
16 of 20![Attorney General William Barr leaves his home in McLean, Va., on Friday, March 22, 2019. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is expected to present a report to the Justice Department any day now outlining the findings of his nearly two-year investigation into Russian election meddling, possible collusion with Trump campaign officials and possible obstruction of justice by Trump .]()
17 of 20![President Donald J. Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Washington, DC, on March 22, 2019. The Trump administration, along with lawmakers, are awaiting the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report into President Trump's behavior.]()
18 of 20![The White House early in the morning after a rainy night in Washington, DC, on March 22, 2019. The Trump administration, along with lawmakers, are awaiting the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report into President Trump's behavior.]()
19 of 20![Special CounselRobert Mueller arrives at his office on March 21, 2019 in Washington DC. It is expected that Muellerwill soon complete his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and release his report.]()
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David Cicilline, a member of the House Judiciary Committee who has been vocal in calling for the start of the proceedings, thanked Mueller for his work and added:Â “Now it is time for Congress to do its job.”
“The next step is for the House Judiciary Committee to open an impeachment inquiry to formally begin consideration of whether or not articles of impeachment should be filed,” Cicilline said. “The opening of this inquiry will allow the Committee to collect evidence, compel the attendance of witnesses, and decide how to proceed.”
He added that “if any other American committed” the acts outlined in Mueller’s report, “they would be indicted and prosecuted.”
But other Democrats on the committee, which would be tasked with leading impeachment proceedings, were not as quick to jump to impeachment, including Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.Â
Nadler, while not mentioning impeachment, said vowed to continue oversight investigation, saying it’s clear that “President Trump is lying about the Special Counsel’s findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the Special Counsel’s report, and is lying in saying that the Special Counsel found no obstruction and no collusion.”
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke today about her growing concern for the president saying the White House is “crying out for impeachment.”
USA TODAY
“Given that Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the President, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump – and we will do so,” Nadler said. “No one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law.”
Mueller, in his first public statement in the two years he spent investigating the president and Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election, admitted he had no desire to testify before Congress about the results of the investigation or the findings outlined in his 448-report. Nadler did not say whether a subpoena was being considered.Â
Mueller’s statement comes as Pelosi has tried to tap down calls within her party to start impeachment proceedings.
More: Don McGahn, former White House counsel, defies House subpoena and skips hearing on Russia probe
More: Democrats could hold AG Barr in contempt of Congress. What is that and can it actually be used?
Those calls have only intensified over the weeks since the release of Mueller’s report and Trump’s defiant attempts to block the House from investigating him. Tensions reached a new level last week after Trump walked out of an infrastructure meeting at the White House with top Democrats, telling Pelosi and Schumer that he wouldn’t work with them on shared priorities such as infrastructure and bringing down the cost of prescription drugs unless they abandoned investigations into his presidency.
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![In this Oct. 17, 2016, photo, attorney Gregory Craig arrives at U.S. District Court in Washington. Lawyers for former Obama administration White House counsel Craig say they expect their client to be charged in a foreign lobbying investigation that grew out of the special counsels Russia probe.]()
1 of 10![Jan 25, 2019; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; American political consultant Roger Stone speaks to the media after being arraigned on federal charges at U.S District Courthouse. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-400975 ORIG FILE ID: 20190125_jfv_bv1_027.jpg]()
2 of 10![WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 07: Former Trump Campaign aide George Papadopoulos leaves the U.S. District Court after his sentencing hearing on September 7, 2018 in Washington, DC. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty last year for making a materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement to investigators during FBI's probe of Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX*** ORG XMIT: 775185310 ORIG FILE ID: 1028761488]()
3 of 10![(FILES) In this file photo taken on December 11, 2017 former Trump campaign official Rick Gates leaves Federal Court in Washington, DC.Gates testified on August 6, 2018 on day 5 of the trial against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Manafort, 69, is the first defendant to go to court to fight charges stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan SmialowskiBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: AFP_1865G7]()
4 of 10![epa06643143 Lawyer Alex Van Der Zwaan walks into the DC Federal Courthouse before hearing his sentence for making false statements to federal investigators in Washington, DC, USA, 03 April 2018. Van Der Zwaan, the son-in-law of a Ukrainian-Russian oligarch, is a target in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in US presidential elections. EPA-EFE/JIM LO SCALZO ORG XMIT: JJL01]()
5 of 10![Dec 12, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Michael Cohen departs after sentencing at the Moynahan Federal Courthouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY ORIG FILE ID: 20181212_sal_usa_1685.JPG]()
6 of 10![W. Samuel Patten leaves the federal court in Washington, Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. Patten entered a guilty plea in federal court in Washington, shortly after prosecutors released a four-page charging document that accused him of performing lobbying and consulting work in the United States and Ukraine but failing to register as a foreign agent as required by the Justice Department. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) ORG XMIT: DCJL105 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]]()
7 of 10![SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - AUGUST 9: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian billionaire and businessman Yevgeniy Prigozhin attends Russian-Turkish talks in Konstantin Palace in Strenla on August,9, 2016 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. President of Turkey is having a one-day visit to Putin's hometown. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 660445815 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]]()
8 of 10![Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort departs the federal court house after a status hearing in Washington, DC, earlier this year.]()
9 of 10![Former national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves after an appearance at U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.]()
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![W. Samuel Patten leaves the federal court in Washington, Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. Patten entered a guilty plea in federal court in Washington, shortly after prosecutors released a four-page charging document that accused him of performing lobbying and consulting work in the United States and Ukraine but failing to register as a foreign agent as required by the Justice Department. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) ORG XMIT: DCJL105 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]](https://www.wordpressdynamos.com/timesofnewscdn/USA/7730f_71325ccc-c98e-401f-ac8d-f49eb4023cd8-XXX_AP_18243659036713_dcb.JPG)
![SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - AUGUST 9: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian billionaire and businessman Yevgeniy Prigozhin attends Russian-Turkish talks in Konstantin Palace in Strenla on August,9, 2016 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. President of Turkey is having a one-day visit to Putin's hometown. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 660445815 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]](https://www.wordpressdynamos.com/timesofnewscdn/USA/e3fa9_96374825-f0be-4337-9156-134a822157bb-XXX_CP_Turkish_President_Erdogan_Meets_President_Putin_91829158.jpg)
