On Friday, Rep. Doug Collins sent a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler in regards to the hearing that is set to take place on Monday.
Collins suggested in the letter that what is happening on Monday is more of a “mock-impeachment inquiry” and cited that the name of the hearing is titled: “Lessons from the Mueller Report: Presidential Obstruction and Other Crimes.”
Collins said, “[Monday’s hearing] appears to be part of a strategy to turn the Committee’s oversight hearings into a mock- impeachment inquiry rather than a legitimate exercise in congressional oversight. Conducting such hearings inevitably sets this Committee on a collision course with the longstanding Rules of the House, which you have apparently alluded to as recently as this week.”
He warned Nadler about ensuring that committee rules are followed and gave a rundown of proper rules and procedures, which he said have not been followed by majority of the members of the committee since Democrats took back control of the House.
Collins then laid out five examples to back up his claim on how rules have been broken, which are as follows:
1) At a Committee meeting on May 8, 2019, a Majority Member called the President a “pathetic person.” Jefferson’s Manual indicates this statement was out of order. Continued Below
2) In another instance at the May 8, 2019 Committee meeting, a Majority Member stated the President “turned the government of the United States into a moneymaking operation” for himself and his family and further addressed remarks to the President stating, “you violate and undermine the laws of the United States.” Jefferson’s Manual indicates this statement was out of order.
3) At the same Committee meeting, a Majority Member of this Committee stated the “President of the United States encouraged his associates to hide the truth, illegally suggested that he would pardon witnesses, and threatened them with retribution if they didn’t protect him.” Jefferson’s Manual states any suggestion of mendacity is out of order. This includes suggestions the President misrepresented the truth, attempted to obstruct justice, or encouraged others to perjure themselves.
4) At the same Committee meeting, a Majority Member accused another Member of “aiding and abetting [the President and Attorney General] in their cover up.” Jefferson’s Manual indicates this statement was out of order. Continued Below
5) In your opening statement at the May 21, 2019 Committee meeting, you stated:
* the President is “putting himself and his allies above the law;”
* the President “took it upon himself to intimidate a witness who has a legal obligation to be here today;” and
* former federal prosecutors “have agreed that the President committed crimes.”
Collins added:
“Outside of impeachment proceedings — which is clearly the case here — it is out of order for a Member of Congress, in debate, to engage in personalities with the President or express an opinion, even a third-party opinion, accusing the President of a crime. The Rules are clear on this point.
Finally, and most timely, the title of this hearing, if read during debate, would tread alarmingly close to the prohibition against engaging in personalities against the President due to its mere suggestion the President committed ‘obstruction [of justice] and other crimes.'”
You can read the full letter by CLICKING HERE.
