Rep. Schakowsky backs Trump impeachment inquiry

WASHINGTON — Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., on Wednesday called for President Donald Trump to be subject to an impeachment inquiry, notable since she is part of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership team, and the speaker has counseled restraint.

“This is a personal decision on my part,” Schakowsky said in a video.

She added, “I think that our leadership has done a good job.

“But instituting the impeachment inquiry will actually enable us to get more information, more documents,” said Schakowsky, an Evanston resident who represents the north suburban 9th district.

Illinois sends 13 Democrats to the House. Rep. Bobby Rush, through a spokesman, is the only one calling for impeachment. Reps. Mike Quigley, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Danny Davis support launching an impeachment inquiry. Schakowsky and the other four represent safe Democratic districts.

Below, the text of Schakowsky’s announcement.

Hi I’m Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.

Today I am announcing that I believe that the House of Representatives should begin an impeachment inquiry officially.

Because President Trump certainly has committed all kinds of offenses that meet the standard of impeachment, high crimes and misdemeanors.

I have felt, really from Day one, from the time that Donald Trump raised his hand and took the oath of office, that he had already had violated the emoluments clause. The Trump hotel and taking money, and that its been about money and about the obstruction of justice. We’ve seen so many examples.

I’ve read from beginning to end the Mueller report. It was my vacation reading.

And It is so clear, the many, many examples of the President obstructing justice.

Of calling his lawyer, his counsel to assure that Mueller gets fired. Over and over. Calling him at home.

Just one little example. One of many, many examples.

So the House of Representatives has engaged in many investigations.

And I think that our leadership has done a good job.

But instituting the impeachment inquiry will actually enable us to get more information, more documents.

Have the force of the constitution behind us.

To get even more evidence of the President’s deserving to be impeached.

I have just reached a point where I feel that every day, we see the President do things like saying “Oh Sure, I’ll take some information from a foreign government. And no I’m not going to tell the FBI about that” when it comes to Elections.

No, this is not legal. It was made clear through the law enforcement in our country that that is against the law.

And this flouting of law over and over and over again, doing things that benefit personally his family, his income, it’s got to come to end.

And so at this point, so that we can go forward, to present more information to the American people.

I’d love to see the television version of the Mueller report. I hope that Mueller himself comes. But these witnesses are going to continue to come, and hopefully in the context of an impeachment inquiry.

This is a personal decision on my part.

I feel an obligation now, to take my belief that Donald Trump has to be held accountable, that no one is above the law, to the next step.

And that is the announcement that I am making today.

Thank you.