Thread by @a_rosamilia

I keep hearing that it all comes down to whether or not President Trump is guilty of committing a “high crime or misdemeanor” as outlined in the Constitution. Since “high crimes and misdemeanors” are not defined in the Constitution this leaves room for Senators to acquit...

the president because they believe that what he did does not meet their criteria for a “high crime or misdemeanor” But let’s look at the actual words in the Constitution:

“President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States” shall be removed from office if...

convicted in an impeachment trial of “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

Notice that the Constitution list two specific examples of high crimes and misdemeanors: treason and bribery. In other words, if a president commits one of those two crimes, then ...

there is no need to wonder whether they rise to the level of impeachment. The Constitution specifically says they do. Based on what we know of this specific case. Is President Trump guilty of soliciting a bribe from the President of the Ukraine?

The crime of bribery can be committed in two ways. The most common way involves offering or giving something of value to another person, usually a public official. But bribery also includes what might be described as the reverse situation, when a public official solicits or ...

demands something of value in exchange for an official act. Specifically, US Federal law states that this type of bribery is committed when:
“…being a public official…directly or indirectly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value...

personally for or because of any official act performed or to be performed by such official or person…”

I do not think at this point anyone is disputing whether or not President Trump sought an investigation into the Bidens by the Ukrainians in exchange for both a...

White House meeting and promised military aid. The telephone transcript says as much and the testimony of the witnesses that has been released in the public corroborates that as well as statements by the White House Chief of Staff. The only thing in question is whether the...

investigation of the Bidens that the president was asking for constitutes a personal “thing of value” to the president of the United States.

If an investigation into the Bidens was important to our national security or to US interests in some way, then the president is...

not guilty of bribery and should not be impeached.

But, if an investigation of the Bidens has nothing to do with national security (as NSC member Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman testified yesterday) then the only reason that president Trump would have been seeking an investigation

by Ukraine in exchange for an “official act” of which he had control, was for personal (in this case political) gain. If that is true, then president Trump is guilty of bribery, which is both a criminal act under federal law and specifically according to the constitution, an...

impeachable offense.

After the American people and more importantly members of congress hear the evidence, that is precisely what they should be trying to decide. There is no need to wonder if it rises to the level of impeachment, the constitution says it does.

There is no reason to wonder if President Trump asked for a quid pro quo, it’s clear he did. It only matters whether or not the “thing of value” he was asking for benefitted US national interests or Donald Trump’s personal interests. The former is appropriate, and...

the president in that case should be exonerated. The latter is a crime, and according to the constitution a specifically impeachable crime, for which he should be impeached in the House and removed by the Senate.