Letter to the editor: Impeachment facts

“Counterpoint: The impeachment to end them all” (Sept. 30, TribLIVE) contains one alternative fact after another, what I consider false statements regarding Ukraine, the Mueller report, President Trump’s two impeachments and President Biden’s role in Burisma. Publishing unfounded assumptions is no way to improve our society.

The article states that impeachments should be rare, but frequency should have nothing to do with the decision. Impeachment is our tool to keep criminals out of public office and should happen as often as necessary. It mentions political revenge, but revenge has no place in good government. Evening the score is for children.

Trump was impeached for attempting to extort the president of Ukraine, which is a crime. His second impeachment was bipartisan and necessary to prevent any future president from inciting an insurrection to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Trump took an oath of office to uphold the peaceful transfer of power, and his refusal rises to “high crimes and misdemeanors.” He was impeached for what he did, not for what he said.

As for partisan accusations, Republican Sen. John McCain gave the FBI information on the Trump campaign’s contact with Moscow, and the Australian government informed the FBI of Russians meddling in our 2016 election. A Republican initiated the Steele report, but that alone did not open the FBI investigation. Far from finding no collusion, the Mueller report indicted 34 individuals on collusion. It was really too bad Bill Barr got to whitewash the report to say there was no collusion. He was obviously not telling the whole truth.

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Chris Baldonieri

Latrobe