John,

Impeachment is not a scam, as President Trump has claimed, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell seems to be doing his best to turn the Senate trial into one.

McConnell’s trial rules would compress the impeachment trial into just a few days, and seem designed to exclude important evidence and testimony about President Trump’s misconduct. McConnell has already been forced to modify some of his most extreme proposed provisions in response to pressure from senators of his own party, but the current rules are still far from fair or transparent.

The rules now say that, after the parties present arguments and the Senate asks questions, the Senate will debate and vote on whether they will consider issuing subpoenas for documents and witness testimony. Every senator now has to consider whether they will go along with the effort to limit information and shorten the trial, or whether they will take seriously their constitutional obligations, and vote to hear witness testimony and obtain the evidence they need to make a fully informed decision about the president’s abuse of power.

For more about what’s at stake, read my op-ed in the New York Times, and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by forwarding this email.

Here are some other things you should know about the impeachment trial:

Last night, as part of setting rules for the trial, the Senate voted down amendments that would have allowed witness testimony and additional evidence. But it’s crucial to note: this is not the last chance to include witness testimony. After the House impeachment managers and the president’s lawyers each make their case, there will again be a chance for further motions. During President Clinton’s impeachment trial, that was the point at which the Senate voted to hear from witnesses. Some senators have indicated that that’s when they will consider witness testimony. As the trial continues, we need you to keep the pressure on them by sharing and asking your friends to email their senators in support of witness testimony and additional evidence.
In every impeachment trial in the last century, not only has the Senate heard witness testimony, but they’ve also called new witnesses every single time. When Senator McConnell claims that calling for new witness testimony is a sign of a weak case, he’s ignoring history and precedent in favor of shielding the president from devastating new facts. Read more here.
Since the start of the Trump administration, senators have repeatedly visited President Trump’s properties, enabling his conflicts of interest and abandoning any pretense of objectivity. They have continued to visit and funnel money to Trump since the start of the impeachment inquiry, at a time when they should be most concerned with doing impartial justice and upholding their constitutional duty. 15 senators have visited Trump properties 22 times since the official start of the inquiry on September 24, 2019, and Senator Lindsey Graham leads with 6 separate visits.

As the trial continues, we’ll continue sending regular updates like this—and we’ll also be providing updates and analysis in real time on social media. Stay in the loop by following us on Twitter and Facebook if you don’t already.

Thank you for your support,

Noah Bookbinder
Executive Director, CREW

DONATE NOW