17 former investigators of the Watergate affair have spoken out in favor of impeachment of US President Donald Trump. There was sufficient evidence of impeachment, it said in a guest article in the Washington Post. The members of the former committee of inquiry called on the House of Representatives to initiate proceedings "without delay" despite blockades attempted by the White House.
The US Democrats accuse Trump of abusing the power of his post in the Ukraine affair so that a foreign government intervenes in his favor in the campaign for the upcoming 2020 presidential election. Trump had encouraged the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Selenskyj in a telephone call to investigate his rival Joe Biden.
According to the Democrats, Trump temporarily used blocked military aid for Ukraine as a lever. They are therefore conducting investigations into possible impeachment proceedings against the President. However, the White House categorically denies any cooperation with Congress on testimony or the publication of documents.
Parallels to the case of Nixon in 1974
In their article, the Watergate investigators drew parallels to the so-called Watergate affair in 1974. At that time, the committee prepared the investigation into the impeachment of the then President Richard Nixon. The House of Representatives then launched a case for "blockade, abuse of power and disrespect for Congress". The same allegations could also be made against Trump, the article says.
However, the decision to actually impeach is in the Senate, where Trump's Republicans have the majority. The chances that the Democrats will succeed with their project are therefore small. The investigators therefore urged the members of the Senate, regardless of party doctrines to decide and "courageous and honest" to comply with their constitutional obligations.
The Republican Nixon was in 1974 in the Watergate affair to the intercepted campaign headquarters of the political opponent of impeachment by his resignation preempted. An impeachment case was also launched against former President Bill Clinton in 1998 (read more about the case here).