Thread by @tburages

So why haven't Dems impeached Trump?

Impeachment is like a grand jury proceeding. The House acts as a prosecutor bringing a case against the subject of an investigation. If there is enough evidence of "high crimes and misdemeanors," the House can then vote to impeach. /1

The trouble here is that Trump's stonewalling of Congress has prevented the House from collecting evidence it requires to move forward with an impeachment vote. Other than Mueller's testimony, they've been blocked from having access to witnesses and essential documents. /2

Trump is attempting to use his Article II authority to thwart Congress's Article I authority, and Congress is asking the courts to use their Article III authority to allow them to function and well, you know, impeach the sumofabitch. /3

The courts. There are six main avenues in the courts that House Democrats are using to gather more facts and evidence that will aid them in this impeachment that we are all craving.

I've done a status report on each one of these for you. Here they are. 👇 /4

The Judiciary Committee filed in D.C. District Court to obtain grand jury testimony underlying the Mueller Report. Oral arguments are expected this fall. /5

House Oversight is going after Trump's financial records from his accountant, Mazars. This one's clipping right along. It's already in the circuit court of appeals and is going in Democrat's favor (notice the judges?) /6

HPSCI and the Financial Services Cmte are going after Trump's bank records from Deustche Bank and Capitol One. And not just that of Trump, but his whole family, including Kushner. This is also already in the appeals court. /7

The House Ways and Means have sued the Treasury Department and IRS for not turning over Trump's federal tax returns even though the law says they "shall" turn them over. /8

New York State is ready to turn over Trump's state returns, but Trump has sued Ways & Means and New York State AG to prevent Congress from getting them. New York has made a motion to dismiss. There is a hearing on that soon. /9

Finally, the House *just* filed suit to get McGahn's public testimony concerning the events in the Mueller Report. /10

Nadler said this week that he foresees impeachment hearings beginning late this year. Schiff stated that if sufficient progress is not made on these 6 legal fronts by sometime next year, Trump would be impeached based on total obstruction of Congress.

So - it's coming. /11x