Congressman Lowenthal used President Trump's favored communication technique -- Twitter (a pair of Tweets) -- to indicate his stance:

Congress must hold him accountable. I believe the time has come to consider an impeachment inquiry. 2/2

— Rep. Alan Lowenthal (@RepLowenthal) May 30, 2019

[Scroll down for further.]

The inquiry would be conducted by House Judiciary Committee (with a Dem majority) and could recommend that the full House (since Nov. 2018 with a Dem majority) pursue Articles of Impeachment against President Trump. Dems (now including Lowenthal) allege that the President obstructed justice in the inquiry by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into possible Russian government interference in the 2016 Presidential Election.

Special Counsel Mueller's report, in publicly redacted form, didn't find successful Russian government interference in the 2016 Presidential election and didn't recommend prosecution of President Trump for obstruction of justice in the inquiry but -- in a politically radioactive statement -- added that it on the obstruction of justice issue it didn't exonerate President Trump either.

House Dems have now demanded release of the full, unredacted Mueller report; Trump-appointed Attorney General William Barr has refused to do so citing federal laws preventing release of grand jury testimony/evidence.

Sponsor

Sponsor

If the Dem majority House were to approve Articles of Impeachment against President Trump, it could trigger a trial in the Republican majority Senate in the run-up to the Nov. 2020 Presidential election. In a Senate trial, approval by 2/3 of Senators (now a Republican majority) would be required to remove President Trump from office.

On Jan. 1, 2019, Cong. Brad Sherman (D, SFV) introduced H. Res 13 calling for the impeachment of President Trump. It has garnered one House co-sponsor to date: Cong. Al Green (D, Texas).

Sponsor

In Dec. 1998, a Repub majority House invoked the impeachment process against then-President Bill Clinton (a Dem), approving articles of impeachment alleging perjury (lying to a federal grand jury) and obstruction of justice in the wake of his actions in responding to a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by former Arkansas state employee (later Long Beach, CA resident) Paula Jones against former Arkansas Governor Clinton. In a deposition brought by Ms. Jones' lawyers, Clinton was asked under oath about what took place between the President and White House intern Monica Lewinsky and Clinton denied having had sexual relations with her. Infamous evidence then surfaced on a blue dress retained by Ms. Lewinsky.

In 1999 (as in 2019) the affirmative votes of 67 Senators are required to remove a sitting President. In 1999, no Dem Senators voted to remove President Clinton, acquitting him of the charges.

Sponsor

Sponsor

In August 1974, President Nixon resigned from office in the wake of the Watergate cover-up while an impeachment process was underway against him was (and some Republican Senators, including Arizona conservative Republican Barry Goldwater, had indicated they believed Nixon had lied.) Among House staffers then-drafting the articles of impeachment against Nixon was Yale law school graduate Hillary Rodham (now Hillary Rodham Clinton.) A little over twenty years later, confronting allegations then-escalating against her husband, Mrs. Clinton contended that a "vast right wing conspiracy" had targeted her husband.

In April 2019, Mrs. Clinton indicated she agreed with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA/Marin County) in declining an immediate call to impeach President Trump...but added it should be "based on evidence."

President Trump has charged that Democrats and media outlets critical of him have set out to wreck his presidency; he has responded by saying the Mueller probe found no Russian interference/collusion in the election and no obstruction of justice by him.

Some Republicans continue to fume over former FBI Director James Comey's decision not to recommend prosecution of then-Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton despite evidence that she'd transferred classified State Dept. documents onto an insecure server maintained at her private residence. Still others have urged the Trump Justice Dept. to look into actions by some former Justice Dept/FBI officials for allegedly using their positions to try to damage then-candidate Trump in the 2016 presidential race.

Sponsor

Sponsor

Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.