Trump Administration/Executive Ethics

Today, Common Cause called on the U.S. House of Representatives to impeach and the Senate to convict and remove Attorney General William Barr from office for obstruction of Congress, abuse of power and failing to faithfully execute his office. In a letter to every Member of Congress, Common Cause emphasized that Barr, despite serving as the nation’s top law enforcement official, has violated his oath of office and put the interests of President Donald Trump before the interests of the nation.

Common Cause, for example, recommended the House pass nine articles. “Not including expanded articles … gives a green light for future presidents that these abuses can go unpunished,” Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs at Common Cause recently told me.

Common Cause commends the House Judiciary Committee for approving two articles of impeachment against President Trump. These articles reflect the overwhelming evidence against President Trump that was collected despite obstruction of the investigation by the White House. We are disappointed that the Republican members of the committee chose to ignore the compelling evidence before them and uphold their oath of office. We encourage all House Members to impartially review the evidence before them and keep in mind their constitutional duty to hold the executive branch accountable and vote for these when they’re expected to be voted on by the full House of Representatives next week.

Common Cause hand-delivered a list of nine possible articles — including one outlining how Trump illicitly profited off the presidency — to all House members late last month. “Not including expanded articles … gives a green light for future presidents that these abuses can go unpunished,” said Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, which works closely with staff of House committees.

President Trump and his GOP apologists don’t get to have their cake and eat it too. After months of doing everything in their power to obstruct any investigation of presidential misconduct – particularly related to President Trump’s efforts to coerce and bribe the President of Ukraine to launch an investigation of his Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son – it is laughable that they are now trying to dismiss the process as a ‘witch hunt.”

Every American should be grateful for the life of William Ruckelhaus, who personified the rule of law by refusing President Nixon’s order to fire Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox.