Nancy Pelosi names 7 managers for Trump's impeachment trial

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the names of the seven impeachment managers Wednesday who will present the case to senators that Donald Trump should be removed from office.

The managers will all be Democrats: Adam Schiff of California, Jerry Nadler and Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Zoe Lofgren of California, Val Demmings of Florida, Jason Crow of Colorado, and Sylvia Garcia of Texas.

Schiff, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, was named lead manager and was widely expected to be named one of the managers after leading the impeachment inquiry and many of the most high-profile hearings. Schiff is a former prosecutor who served as an assistant United States attorney prior to running for elected office.

Pelosi noted that in selecting these seven managers to try the case, “The emphasis is on litigators. The emphasis is on comfort level in the courtroom. The emphasis is on making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our Constitution, to seek the truth for the American people.”

The announcement came before an expected House vote on Wednesday to send two articles of impeachment to the Senate. On Dec. 18, 2019, Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — “an impeachment that will last forever,” Pelosi noted Wednesday.

The articles stemmed from alleged attempts by Trump to pressure Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, who is seeking the 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination, as well as asking the country to investigate a debunked conspiracy theory involving the Democratic National Committee.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that a trial is likely to begin on Jan. 21. McConnell previously admitted to coordinating with the White House on the parameters of the trial, and publicly declared that he will not be an impartial juror. All 100 senators will swear an oath before the trial to “do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws.”

Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and two-thirds of senators are needed to remove a president from office. Trump is the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. The Senate has never removed a president from office.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.