Nadler: Mueller testimony could begin Trump impeachment proceedings
WASHINGTON – The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee on Sunday suggested former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony this week could kick off impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
“The (Mueller) report presents very substantial evidence that the president is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors,” Rep. Jerry Nadler told “Fox News Sunday.” “We have to let Mueller present those facts to the American people and then see where we go from there because the administration must be held accountable and no president can be above the law.”
Nadler (D-NY) said Trump and Attorney General William Barr have spent months “systematically lying” by claiming the report exonerated the president and Wednesday’s hearing starring Mueller will set the record straight.
“No, the country has not moved on,” Nadler said of a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that found half of Americans think Congress should not hold any hearings. “… I believe that when people hear what was in the Mueller report then … we’ll be in a position to begin holding the president accountable and to make this less of a lawless administration.”
Mueller is reluctantly testifying and said previously his public remarks would stick to the conclusions of his 400-plus page report, which didn’t clear Trump of obstruction of justice, but found insufficient evidence to show a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to meddle in the 2016 election.
“We hope it won’t end up being a dud,” Nadler said of Mueller’s testimony.
Republicans will likely use their time questioning Mueller about alleged corruption at the FBI that kicked off the Trump campaign probe – which Nadler dismissed “irrelevancy.”
“Let them waste their time,” Nadler said of the GOP.
Separately, Nadler said he’s not letting up on demanding answers from former Trump aide Hope Hicks on her “inconsistent” previous testimony on hush payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, who claimed to have affairs with Trump.
Hicks’ lawyer said she stands by her “truthful testimony” that she was unaware of the hush money payments at the time, despite newly released court documents in the Michael Cohen case.
“We’ve asked her to clarify how her testimony was truthful given what the court filings reveal,” Nadler said.
Nadler also plans to go to court “within a couple of days” of the Mueller hearing to bring former White House counsel Don McGahn, who appeared prominently in the Mueller report, before his committee.
“All witnesses owe the public their evidence and it is our duty to make sure that people like McGahn testify,” Nadler said.
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