Billiejeens
Diamond Member
- Jun 27, 2019
- 32,572
- 21,179
- 1,845
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler -- one of the impeachment managers prosecuting President Donald Trump -- believes perjury and obstruction of justice need not be impeachable offenses.
Or that is what Nadler claimed in 1998, when he was a dissenting minority member on a Judiciary Committee that approved four articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton.
Clinton -- like Nadler -- was a Democrat.
The full House voted to approve two of the four articles against Clinton -- with five Democrats voting for each of the approved articles.
"The Committee concluded that on or about December 17, 1997, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly encouraged a witness in a Federal civil rights action brought against him to execute a sworn affidavit in that proceeding that he knew to be perjurious, false and misleading."
Nadler said he did not believe the committee had proven these charges -- but that, even if true, they were not impeachable.
"The conduct alleged -- even if proven -- does not rise to the level of an impeachable offense," he said in the committee's Dec. 10, 1998 hearing.
"We should not dignify these articles of impeachment by sending them to the full House," he said. "To do so would be an affront to the Constitution and would consign this committee to the condemnation of history for generations to come."
Nadler further argued that a partisan impeachment vote must never happen.
Has Nadler Consigned Himself 'To The Condemnation Of History'?
BJ - Yes, but to other Democrats - that's a plus.
Or that is what Nadler claimed in 1998, when he was a dissenting minority member on a Judiciary Committee that approved four articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton.
Clinton -- like Nadler -- was a Democrat.
The full House voted to approve two of the four articles against Clinton -- with five Democrats voting for each of the approved articles.
"The Committee concluded that on or about December 17, 1997, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly encouraged a witness in a Federal civil rights action brought against him to execute a sworn affidavit in that proceeding that he knew to be perjurious, false and misleading."
Nadler said he did not believe the committee had proven these charges -- but that, even if true, they were not impeachable.
"The conduct alleged -- even if proven -- does not rise to the level of an impeachable offense," he said in the committee's Dec. 10, 1998 hearing.
"We should not dignify these articles of impeachment by sending them to the full House," he said. "To do so would be an affront to the Constitution and would consign this committee to the condemnation of history for generations to come."
Nadler further argued that a partisan impeachment vote must never happen.
Has Nadler Consigned Himself 'To The Condemnation Of History'?
BJ - Yes, but to other Democrats - that's a plus.