On Friday, a U.S. federal judge ruled that the Democrat-led impeachment probe into President Donald Trump is completely legal, despite the White House repeatedly insisting it’s invalid because no formal vote ever took place.
According to CNN , Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court not only ruled that House Democrats are engaged in a legal impeachment inquiry, but she also ordered the Trump administration to release an unredacted copy of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report detailing Russian involvement in the 2016 election.
Prior to Friday’s ruling, the Trump administration has maintained the impeachment inquiry is a sham.
Since Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the inquiry back in September, the White House has refused to cooperate with the investigation, pointing out that the House never formally voted to authorize it which they claim makes the entire inquiry invalid.
House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy previously asked that Pelosi suspend the investigation on the grounds that such an event can only occur following authorization from a House vote.
In response, Pelosi dismissed the Republican’s claims and said she has no intention on suspending the inquiry.
Now, Judge Howell has reinforced Pelosi’s stance and has ruled that the investigation is completely legal, as expressed in a 75-page opinion .
“An impeachment trial is an exercise of judicial power,” Howell wrote. “Contrary to [the Justice Department’s] position — and as historical practice, the Federalist Papers, the text of the Constitution, and Supreme Court precedent all make clear — impeachment trials are judicial in nature and constitute judicial proceedings.”
Howell also gave the Justice Department until next Wednesday to provide the blacked-out material from the Mueller report.
These redacted parts were previously subpoenaed by the House judiciary committee.
Howell wrote, “to avoid a possible injustice in the impeachment inquiry, that this need for disclosure is greater than the need for continued secrecy.”
She added that the White House’s strategy to stonewall the House has only strengthened the lawmaker’s case.
“The White House’s stated policy of noncooperation with the impeachment inquiry weighs heavily in favor of disclosure,” Howell wrote. “Congress’s need to access grand jury material relevant to potential impeachable conduct by a president is heightened when the executive branch willfully obstructs channels for accessing other relevant evidence.”
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler said he was “gratified” by Howell’s ruling.
As he told CNN , “The court’s thoughtful ruling recognizes that our impeachment inquiry fully comports with the Constitution and thoroughly rejects the spurious White House claims to the contrary.”
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A spokesperson for the Justice Department said they are reviewing the decision.
h/t: CNN
