One major difference in this investigation and the sham charges brought by the Democrats against Trump is the bribery thing.
Pelosi, Nadler, and Schiff had to make up crimes and lie.
The Constitution specifically mentions Bribery as an impeachable offense. (you need to prove bribery- meaning money for an outcome- they haven't even proven the money part)
Originally Posted by Jackie S
". . .bribery, treason or other high crimes . . ."
The Constitution is both explicit and vague on what constitutes an impeachable offense. Back in the 1970s, erasing 18 minutes of secretly recorded conversations seemed to be enough.
In the 20-teens a pile of made up lies seemed to be enough. Lies HA!!! just because the Senate with a majority saved his orange ass. That was purely political protectionism. Still going on today. Guy claims he was exhonerated,...no just not convicted of the crimes in the senate, but certainly was in the house.
What is at the bottom of the current investigation seems to be hard records of phone conversations, e-mails, text messghes and bank records of deposits and withdrawals. These raise real questions of receiving money linked to dealings with foreign governments that are detrimental to the USA. One is bribery and the other is treason. I understand the idea that you have a payment from Hunter to dad, but how in-the-fudge-Newtons did you jump the shark to get to treason???? The prosecutor who was in charge over in Ukraine was a known payoff guy and had sat on his hands over Burisma for years; collectively he was dragging his feet waiting on a payoff- till he was fired.
In the case of bribery, our legal system recognizes that directing moneys to family members without a direct deposit to a government official to be bribery on the part of that official.- where did this definition come from?
I am sure that it is more complicated than that, but that complexity is the business of the impeachment inquiry.
Originally Posted by ICU 812
Glad your not an attorney, cause saying that there was a directed deposit from someone to aid or benefit a government official without substantial proof and a money trail that mimic's the actual deposits favored, would be speculative at best.
Wikipedia says the following:
"High crimes and misdemeanors" is a phrase from Section 4 of Article Two of the United States Constitution: "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
"High," in the legal and common vocabulary of the 17th and 18th centuries of "high crimes," is the activity by or against those who have special duties acquired by taking an oath of office that is not shared with ordinary persons.[6] A high crime can be done only by someone in a unique position of authority, which is political, who does things to circumvent justice.
Since 1386, the English Parliament From where most of our language originated: had used the term "high crimes and misdemeanors" to describe one of the grounds to impeach officials of the crown. Officials accused of "high crimes and misdemeanors" were accused of offenses as varied as misappropriating government funds, appointing unfit subordinates, not prosecuting cases, promoting themselves ahead of more deserving candidates, threatening a grand jury, disobeying an order from Parliament, arresting a man to keep him from running for Parliament, helping "suppress petitions to the King to call a Parliament," etc.[9]
Benjamin Franklin asserted that the power of impeachment and removal was necessary for those times when the Executive "rendered himself obnoxious," and the Constitution should provide for the "regular punishment of the Executive when his conduct should deserve it, and for his honorable acquittal when he should be unjustly accused." James Madison said that "impeachment... was indispensable" to defend the community against "the incapacity, negligence or perfidy of the chief Magistrate." With a single executive, Madison argued, unlike a legislature whose collective nature provided security, "loss of capacity or corruption was more within the compass of probable events, and either of them might be fatal to the Republic."[10
Ok, not in any order,-
Obnoxious- Check -Trump
Corruption- Check Trump on his infamous phone call.
Misappropriating government funds- wall funding and The Federal Election Commission let Trump off the hook for allegedly using $2.8 million in charitable donations to veterans for political purposes Check - Trump,
Appointing unfit subordinates- Check Trump- Literally his entire cabinet, from EVERY SINGLE appointment- Mick Mulvenny, and everyone who was fired for being a low level coffee boy eventually.
Not prosecuting cases - Check Trump for gassing ppl in order to get a photo -op, and then lets not forget pardons for a LOT of ppl promoting themselves ahead of more deserving candidates-TRUMP All day every day.
Threatening a grand jury- all 4 indictments and 91 felonies-yep Threatening every single damn one- Come get yer boy- TRUMP.
When I read the meaning of the high crimes part, all I think of is Trump. I will say that Joe asking for the Burisma guy to be fired, is close, but that itself took 3 months to actually come to conclusion...not really a quid pro quo.