Impeachment witnesses

I have been amazed and appalled at the mismanagement of the House managers of the impeachment proceedings of President Donald Trump and in the conduct of the president’s defense team.

In claiming that they had proved Trump’s guilt, the House managers played directly into the hands of the Trump defense team’s claim that if guilt were already “proved” there would be no need for more witnesses. The House’s role was not to prove the defendant guilty, but only to establish that there was sufficient cause to bring Trump to trial. They certainly did that. If they had left it at that the Senate would not have had any foundation for refusing to call more witnesses and subpoena more documents.

However, the Senate’s obdurate refusal to hold a full trial complete with additional witnesses is an even greater miscarriage of justice. As the House managers pointed out, there never has been any impeachment trial that did not call witnesses. The claim that everything that was needed to be known had been provided was specious at best; consider the impact of Alexander Butterfield’s surprising testimony in the Nixon impeachment. No one guessed that his role would be significant much less pivotal.

In refusing to act in a professional, responsible manner, the Senate is contributing to a miscarriage of justice both for the president and the American people: Without a full inquiry that could clear the president’s name his reputation will be tarnished forever; without a fair and impartial trial the American people may never come to know the truth, which should have been the goal of all our legislators.

What a sad, sorry, pathetic spectacle they have provided.

Steve Blewett, Emeritus Professor of Journalism, EWU

Spokane