WASHINGTON — A group of 30 freshman Democrats are pushing for Rep. Justin Amash (I-Grand Rapids) to be an impeachment manager, the Washington Post's Rachael Bade reported Sunday.
The campaign is being led by Rep. Dean Phillips, a Democrat from Minnesota. The Washington Post said the rationale behind putting Amash in that role is that he would be able to reach conservative voters and it would quell criticisms of partisan impeachment proceedings.
Amash could be favorable for the Democrats for several reasons: he used to be a member of the Republican party, he is one of the most conservative members of the House—even as an independent, and he has been a longtime supporter of an impeachment inquiry.
Phillips' spokesperson confirmed to 13 ON YOUR SIDE that the congressman is asking House leaders to consider Amash to be a manager for the Senate trial of President Donald Trump.
The House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment against Trump on Friday, and the charges are expected to be voted upon the full House this week.
If the House votes to impeach, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi will appoint members of Congress to be impeachment managers who will present the case to the Senate. They then play a role similar to a prosecutor or district attorney would in a criminal trial.
Amash is a principled Constitutionalist who represents Michigan's 3rd district. The five-term congressman was the first Republican to call for an impeachment inquiry. He has since left the GOP and become an independent.
Since the two articles of impeachment were approved, Amash has not indicated how he will vote. But he told CNN last week that he would back three articles of impeachment: obstruction of Congress, obstruction of justice and abuse of power. The two articles are abuse of power and obstruction of justice.
Amash has also been active on Twitter during the inquiry, most recently criticizing Republicans for making an "effort to mislead" on the alleged crimes. He argues there are grounds for impeachment under the framework of high crimes and misdemeanors, which he says "You look to whether his behavior involves abusing power, violating the public trust, or using his office for personal gain."
Another West Michigan congressman has issued a statement regarding the impeachment vote. Rep. Fred Upton, a moderate Republican from St. Joseph, said on Thursday that he will not vote to impeach, saying the process has been too partisan.
The president has continued to deny that he did anything wrong and he has refused to participate in the proceedings. If the House impeaches Trump, the Senate will hold a trial in January.
RELATED VIDEO:
Other stories about the impeachment proceedings from 13 ON YOUR SIDE:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
