Tom Hals Jan Wolfe
[Reuters on May 27]-Legal experts believe that whether Democratic lawmakers can prosecute President Trump for impeachment depends on whether Mr. Trump's approach to the President of Ukraine can be proved to be abused.
According to a call record previously published by the White House, Mr. Trump requested Ukrainian President Zerensky to investigate a Democratic party, Biden, who is considered a leading candidate for the US presidential election next year. The US administration also released a whistle-blowing document stating that Mr. Trump had flung Zelensky to stop supporting Ukraine.
According to lawyers, the impeachment investigation focused on whether Mr. Trump urged Mr. Zerensky to provide information about Mr. Biden using Ukraine's assistance as a material and prioritized personal interests over national interests. If there is evidence of concealment, the chances of imprisonment will increase.
`` The United States has a national security interest in Ukraine, and Mr. Trump will endanger national security interests in exchange for political interests, '' said Professor George Michael Saidman of Georgetown University. It ’s like having done something, and the impetus for the impeachment is whether that happened. ”
<"The flow changes completely">
Democratic Party President Pelosi announced the start of Trump's impeachment investigation on the 24th. If the Democratic House of Representatives (constant number 435) passed the impeachment prosecution with the approval of a simple majority of 218 people, the Republican Senate (constant number 100) would carry out impeachment trials, and the president ’s dismissal would have a two-thirds approval. It is necessary.
The US Constitution states that the president can be dismissed on the grounds of treason, bribery and other felony and misdemeanor.
According to legal experts, Trump's phone call to Mr. Zerensky, who wanted to offer US-made missiles, could violate bribery rules and election funding laws.
However, legislators are not required to strictly follow legal definitions in the impeachment investigation, and can more broadly consider whether Mr. Trump has used his authority for personal gain.
Former federal prosecutor Harry Sandick said, “It does n’t matter whether the act is a crime in the impeachment process. “It was an abuse of authority, and the US Constitutional planners were convinced that this was an impeachment.”
Mr. Trump argues that his request is completely appropriate and does not put pressure on him. Mr. Biden also points out that he has improperly tried to stop the Ukrainian authorities' investigation into companies related to his son.
There is no evidence that Mr. Biden used his vice-president position to help his son.
President Pelosi pointed out at the event in Texas on the 28th that “the flow has changed completely among the people,” “The Americans are different because of whistleblowing, prosecutor reports, and the insane attitude of the administration. "We are heading for a decision," he said, saying that American public opinion is leaning towards supporting impeachment.
<Possibility of impeachment, still unclear>
However, some experts find it difficult to prosecute Trump.
David Ribkin, who worked as a legal expert at the Department of Justice, pointed out that it would not be appropriate to ask a foreign country to investigate a US citizen suspected of violating US law. "Since it is a person who moves politics in the United States, there is no excuse for or avoidance of foreign research."
However, whistle-blowing that White House officials intervened and moved Mr. Trump's call log to a special computer system suggests concealment, and some have pointed out that the possibility of imprisonment has increased.
Colombian Law School Center for Public Integrity Executive Director Berritt Burger said that if the investigation of the possibility of concealment progresses, the witnesses in the impeachment investigation will expand, and supportive witnesses will appear in Congress I showed the view.