Friend,

No person in the United States is above the law, least of all our president. I have watched with great dismay and rising alarm the way he has conducted himself in ways unbecoming of the leader of our country. And I have patiently supported the ongoing investigations into potential wrongdoing, from obstruction of justice to the many other questions raised -- but not answered -- in the Mueller report.

Still, I had hoped to spare the country from the potentially dangerous divisions resulting from impeachment proceedings. As Abraham Lincoln once said, borrowing from scripture, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." We are a nation with deep and worsening divisions and the mission of my campaign -- and my foremost priority still today -- is to do whatever I can to repair our government and our politics.

I also take very seriously my oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. And in recent days, we learned that the president of the United States repeatedly encouraged a foreign government to investigate a top political rival. That -- along with the administration's refusal to turn over the whistleblower complaint that brought this truth to light -- is a clear violation of the law, let alone American values.

Therefore, I support a swift and thorough inquiry that will ensure Congress receives the report and other documentation, and if what the president has all but admitted already is true, we must proceed with articles of impeachment. Future generations will not judge us kindly if we do nothing in the face of such clear wrongdoing.

I did not arrive at this decision lightly, and I know not all will agree with it. Those seeking to attack and ultimately defeat me in the next election are already sharpening their arrows. But this is not about politics; it's about principle. And in my estimation, that's exactly what's needed in Washington now more than ever.

If you agree, I hope you'll stand with me today.

And if you do not, I want you to know that I respect you, and I want to hear from you. What else can my colleagues and I do to restore regular order in Washington, D.C.?

Thanks, as always, for sharing your ideas, your encouragement, and even your criticisms. I'm listening.

- Dean