Democrat files first articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.
A Democratic representative has introduced the first formal article of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
Representative Brad Sherman alleges Mr Trump committed obstruction of justice by firing former FBI Director James Comey amid agency investigations into Russian meddling in the US election.
"Such conduct," Mr Sherman writes in the article, "warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office."The article would need 218 votes to pass the House – not a likely outcome in the Republican-controlled chamber. So far, only one other Democrat – Texas Representative Al Green – has publicly expressed support for impeachment proceedings.
When Mr Sherman started circulating a draft article last month, fellow Democratic Representative Michael Capuano reportedly stood up at a party meeting and denounced him as selfish.Nevertheless, Mr Sherman argues that the President acted "has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice to the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States".
As evidence, the Representative cites various reported and confirmed actions taken by Mr Trump before and after Mr Comey's termination.
First, Mr Sherman cites Mr Comey's allegation that the President asked him to drop the FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. In a Senate hearing last month, Mr Comey said Mr Trump had asked him to "let this go".
Mr Sherman also faults Mr Trump for firing his FBI Director, and claims he did so in response to Mr Comey's handling of the Russia investigation.
While the White House provided several different accounts of Mr Comey's firing, the President eventually told NBC's Lester Holt: "When I decided to just do it, I said to myself -- I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story."
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