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Editor's Note: The author is a lawyer, Republican politician and activist. He has served as vice president in three terms of the Republican Party in Florida and two more as president (1980-1990). He has been the first Hispanic to lead the Republican Party in Florida. Al R. Cárdenas was one of the main advisers and fundraisers for the presidential campaign of Jeb Bush in 2016.
(CNN Spanish) - The United States Congress has begun the process of political trial. If you intend to follow this procedure, it is important that you understand how it works.
Under Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution, Congress has the power to put the president, vice president and all public officials in the country for treason, bribery, or other major and minor crimes. If the House of Representatives approves one or more articles of the political trial by simple majority vote, the Senate would carry out a trial that would lead to the removal of office if 2/3 of the premises support the conviction.
The process cannot begin until one or more members of Congress formally introduce a resolution that sets out the basis for the political trial.
Non-criminal activities have also served as justification for the political trial. The foundation is divided into three categories:
1- The improper conduct for the function or purpose of the position,
2- abuse of the charge for personal gain or improper purpose and
3- the excess or improper abuse of the powers of office.
The first category includes providing false information on federal income tax forms, alleged sexual harassment and judicial favoritism. The second includes the abuse of the charge for personal gain or an improper purpose. And the third includes abuse of power or exceeding presidential powers. Each individual charge for an alleged crime is an article; together they constitute the charges of political judgment.
After the House of Representatives votes to begin the process of political trial, it selects those who will act as prosecutors during the Senate trial. The individual then submits a statement and the trial date is set.
During the trial, witnesses are cited, evidence is considered, and testimonies are taken. Normally the trial is chaired by the vice president, but in the two processes to presidents in office in the history of our country, who presided was the head of the Supreme Court.
At the end of the trial, the Senate deliberates and votes on each individual article. The individual may be convicted of one or more of the submitted articles. Conviction for a single article will result in the removal of the charge. The person who has been subjected to a political trial could face criminal proceedings separately.
There have been 16 such processes in the Senate, from which 8 convictions emerged. All of them to federal judges.
Two presidents of the United States have been subjected to political trial. Andrew Johnson, was prosecuted for 11 articles. The Senate voted on only 3 of the articles and each was a vote of the sentence. Bill Clinton was also subjected to impeachment trial by the House in 1998 based on two articles. Ultimately he was not found guilty under either of the two articles.
On September 24, 2019, the president of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, announced that a political trial investigation would be initiated on President Trump in Congress. The investigation is in the hands of the Commissions of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reform and Foreign Affairs.
If a resolution were issued to introduce the articles of political judgment, it would be referred to the Judicial Commission of the Chamber.
The House of Representatives voted on October 31. The impeachment trial proceeded with 232 votes against 196.
CNN will cover the hearings live. Now that you understand the reasons for the political trial, follow the testimony live and come to your own conclusions.
From time to time, I will comment here on these procedures.
Translation of Mariana Campos
Political judgment