Impeachment managers say Trump is a danger to national security
House impeachment managers submitted a 100-page brief Saturday arguing that the case for removing President Trump from office is clear. In a statement with the brief, the managers said the evidence against him is "overwhelming," asserting that the president "abused the power of his office to solicit foreign interference in our elections for his own personal political gain, thereby jeopardizing our national security, the integrity of our elections, and our democracy."
In the brief, the managers argue that Mr. Trump's "conduct is the Framers' worst nightmare," and say that the president "abandoned his oath to faithfully execute the laws and betrayed his public trust."
"President Trump's misconduct presents a danger to our democratic processes, our national security, and our commitment to the rule of law. He must be removed from office," the managers said in the brief.
The managers also called on senators not to prejudge the proceedings.
"The country is watching to see how the Senate responds. History will judge each Senator's willingness to rise above partisan differences, view the facts honestly, and defend the Constitution. The outcome of these proceedings will determine whether generations to come will enjoy a safe and secure democracy in which the President is not a king, and in which no one, particularly the President, is above the law," the managers say in the brief.
The brief from the president's legal team is due Monday. White House counsel Pat Cipollone and the president's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, will be the lead counsels in the president's defense. Attorneys Robert Ray, Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz will also be on the president's trial , an associate of Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, wants to be called as a witness during the trial, claiming he has knowledge of the efforts to convince the Ukrainian president to open an investigation into Biden. Parnas has also said Mr. Trump tried to fire former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch "at least four or five times" before she was eventually removed from her post. Parnas has been indicted on campaign finance charges.
Meanwhile, the Government Accountability Office released an opinion on Thursday finding that the White House Office of Management and Budget violated the law when it withheld military aid from Ukraine. Documents showing concerns by Pentagon officials about the hold on aid were released earlier in January, as first reported by Just Security.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to offer a resolution designating the rules for the impeachment trial in the Senate on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. It's not yet known whether new witnesses and evidence will be permitted in the trial. After the Senate votes on the rules, the impeachment managers and the president's lawyers will present their arguments to the Senate.
Paula Reid contributed to this report
“Moms 4 Housing” group hopes to bring attention to California’s growing homeless rate
Trump administration to change Obama-era school lunch policy
U.S. federal agencies on high alert as new cases of Coronavirus spread in China
