Jerry Nadler Clashed With Pelosi, Dems Over Trump Impeachment, Deemed It ‘Unconstitutional,’ Per Report
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Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) clashed with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Democrats over the process behind then-President Donald Trump’s impeachment proceeding in 2019, according to a new book.
Nadler reportedly deemed the methods used by Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) “unconstitutional” and expressed concern that Trump was not receiving due process. The claims stem from the book Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congress’s Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump by Politico Playbook co-author Rachael Bade and Washington Post reporter Karoun Demirjian. The book will be released on October 18.
According to the book, Nadler clashed with Schiff in October 2019 as the House planned to hold a vote on the resolution outlining Trump’s impeachment proceedings. The California congressman, who was leading the effort, told Nadler at one point, “I don’t appreciate your tone.”
“It’s unfair, and it’s unprecedented, and it’s unconstitutional,” Nadler said, concerned that the House Judiciary Committee would not be able to cross-examine witnesses.
“I don’t appreciate your tone. I worry you’re putting us in a box for our investigation,” Schiff replied, according to excerpts from the book first published by Fox News.
Nadler’s staff “sucked up” to Pelosi’s staff “relentlessly” in an effort to make his case heard and to get the Judiciary Committee in on the process, the book says. Nadler also had his staff look into past impeachment proceedings and found that presidents were given the opportunity to face witnesses and cross examine them.
“If we’re going to impeach, we need to show the country that we gave the president ample opportunity to defend himself,” Nadler reportedly said at the time, concerned Trump and his supporters could exploit any holes in the proceedings to deem the entire thing politically motivated.
The former president was facing an investigation into a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he asked for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Trump was accused of withholding military funds in order to get an investigation announcement.
Pelosi simply didn’t trust Nadler or his House Judiciary Committee to run point on the proceedings, the book’s authors claim.
“She couldn’t afford another Nadler screwup. The Judiciary chairman could focus on the legal business of crafting the articles of impeachment and have academics testify, she allowed. But that was it,” they wrote.
