VIDEO: Cicilline Refuses to Call for Impeachment, Warren and Ocasio-Cortez Urge Proceedings

Saturday, April 20, 2019

GoLocalProv News Team

 

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Congressman David Cicilline gave his statement on Pawtucket on Friday. Photo: GoLocalProv

Congressman David Cicilline on Friday outlined what he said is the “damning misconduct” of President Donald Trump he said was contained in the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller — but refused to call on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to begin impeachment proceedings.

But, on Friday both U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and rising progressive Congressional star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) both called for the House to begin impeachment proceedings. Warren tweeted on Friday afternoon, "The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States."

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On Thursday, lawyer George Conway — husband of special counsel to the President, Kellyanne Conway -- called for Trump to be impeached, according to Politico. 

"The special counsel did not reach a traditional charging decision, because of the Department of Justice’s policy that a sitting President couldn’t be indicted," said Cicilline on Friday. "The report makes clear however, and I quote, 'If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment.'” 

On March 24, Cicilline had Tweeted that Trump was an “unindicted co-conspirator in a massive scheme to commit campaign finance fraud,” alleging that he took part in a crime — but was not charged.

Despite that, along with his assertion that the Mueller report could have led to charges against the President but the DOJ was unable to do so, Cicilline defended his stance not to call for impeachment, despite his belief of the President’s purported criminal wrongdoings. 

"We have to do this in a serious and somber way — in a way that underscores the significance of what impeachment proceedings mean," said Cicilline. "We’ve just begun our fact-gathering work."

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Cicilline's Full Statement

This is a damning report on the misconduct of the sitting President of the United States and in the Special Counsel’s own words, “does not exonerate the President.”

It details unacceptable, unpatriotic, and unethical conduct and a sustained effort by the President to obstruct the Special Counsel’s investigation.

The Mueller Report established without doubt that the Russians, in a sophisticated and effective intelligence campaign, attacked our democracy in the 2016 Presidential campaign. 

What is even more disturbing in some ways, is that these efforts were embraced and encouraged by candidate, Donald J. Trump.  The report concludes that the Trump team was aware and openly supportive of 

Russian attempts to interfere in the election because “the campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.”

The Trump campaign benefited from this attack on our democracy and the President has, according to the evidence collected, attempted to impede or interfere with the investigation of these matters. 

The report lays out multiple instances where the President tried to obstruct the investigation and states “our investigation found multiple acts by the President that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations, including the Russian-interference and obstruction investigations.”

The report explains “[t}he President’s efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests.”

Specifically the President:

Tried to remove the Special Counsel
Tried to improperly force AG Session to unrecuse
Asked Director Comey to let Flynn off the hook
Attempted to curtail the investigation of the Special Counsel
Fired FBI Director Comey over concerns about an investigation into his campaign and the Russia investigation
Ordered Don McGahn to deny the President tried to fire him even though he had
Attempted to conceal details of the June 9th Trump Tower meeting of Trump campaign officials with the Russians who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton, and
Attempted to have K.T. McFarland create a false witness statement
 
The Special Counsel did not reach a traditional charging decision because of the Department of Justice policy that a sitting President could not be indicted.  The report makes clear, however, that “if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state.  Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment.”

The Special Counsel then wrote, in order to be absolutely clear on this point, “Accordingly, while this report does not conclude the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

Congress has a constitutional responsibility to continue its oversight and investigations

The Special Counsel’s report paints a disturbing picture of a president who has been weaving a web of deceit, lies, and improper behavior and acting as if the law does not apply to him. 

The Report explains “Congress has authority to prohibit a president’s corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice” which “accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law.”

Congress must obtain the full contents of this report as soon as possible and Mr. Mueller must testify before Congress.  This is the only way to restore public trust in the handling of the Special Counsel’s investigation.  The American people deserve to hear the truth. 

The conduct of the Attorney General has been outrageous.  His misleading 4-page summary of the special counsel’s report and his premature press conference were both clear evidence of his attempt to shape the narrative for the benefit of the President, rather than being forthright with the American people.

Attorney General Barr deliberately distorted significant portions of Special Counsel Mueller’s report. 

The Attorney General statement yesterday morning that the White House “fully cooperated” with the investigation is not true.  The report makes clear that the President refused to be interviewed by the Special Counsel and provide written answer to follow-up questions.  In addition, according to the report, his associates destroyed evidence relative to the Russia investigation.

The President has refused to provide the American people with a full and honest explanation of his actions and he must do so.

 

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