Reps. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., and Al Green, D-Texas, filed an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Wednesday, citing "high crimes and misdemeanors."
In H. Res. 438, Sherman and co-sponsor Green say President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey constitutes obstruction of justice. The firing came amid the Bureau's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election. In a statement, Sherman said,Every day Democrats, Republicans, and the entire world are shocked by the latest example of America’s amateur president. Ignorance accompanied by a refusal to learn. Lack of impulse control, accompanied by a refusal to have his staff control his impulses. We’re no longer surprised by any action, no matter how far below the dignity of the office — and no matter how dangerous to the country ... First, I have slight hope it will inspire an 'intervention' in the White House. If Impeachment is real, if they actually see Articles, perhaps we will see incompetency replaced by care. Perhaps uncontrollable impulses will be controlled. And perhaps the danger our nation faces will be ameliorated. Second, and more likely, filing Articles of Impeachment is the first step on a very long road. But if the impulsive incompetency continues, then eventually—many, many months from now—Republicans will join the impeachment effort."[caption id="attachment_2964" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Reps. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., and Al Green, D-Texas[/caption]
The California Democrat concluded, "I author Articles of Impeachment not to change our national policy. I served with Mike Pence in Congress for 12 years, and I disagree with him on just about everything. I never dreamed I would author a measure that would put him in the White House. I am introducing Articles of Impeachment to begin a long process to protect our country from abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and impulsive, ignorant incompetence.”
The congressmen's filing of the impeachment article Wednesday came one day after Donald Trump, Jr. released an email chain pertaining to a controversial meeting he held last summer with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya. His brother-in-law Jared Kushner and his father's then-campaign manager Paul Manafort also attended the meeting with Veselnitskaya.
Some people are even placing wagers on Sherman's efforts. PaddyPower, an Ireland-based betting site, has seen more users placing bets on President Trump being impeached before the end of his first term. This brings the site's total odds of the President being removed from the White House by 2021 up to 60 percent. The percentage is the highest it’s ever been, according to company spokesperson Lee Price.
Not only are PaddyPower bettors increasingly betting on him being impeached, but they're betting on the impeachment occurring as soon as this year, bringing those odds up to 33.3 percent. That's despite the fact that impeachment proceedings are usually lengthy. There is so little money on Trump staying on board for the full term of his presidency that PaddyPower would pay out just 37 pounds, or $47.68, to the winners.
Of note is fact that PaddyPower has not had a good track record of predicting American political outcomes recently. In October of 2016, the company decided that Hillary Clinton's victory was inevitable and decided to prematurely pay out a little under a million dollars to bettors who backed Clinton's candidacy. When Donald Trump ultimately defeated Clinton a month later, PaddyPower was forced to pay out an additional $5 million to Trump bettors. PaddyPower's spokesperson said at the time that the failure left the company with "very, very expensive egg on their faces."
Democratic leaders have distanced themselves from the effort, believing it energizes Trump's base. With the Articles of Impeachment being published for a week now, neither Sherman nor Green have been able to convince any of their colleagues to come onboard.
Fifty percent of the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate must agree to remove a president from office. Democrats currently hold a minority in both chambers and do not have sufficient votes to impeach, let alone force a vote.
