McConnell’s Proposed Fact-Free Show Trial Would Disgrace the United States Senate

Statement of Karen Hobert Flynn, President of Common Cause 

Americans expect and deserve a fair and transparent impeachment trial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is attempting to deny the country even the pretense of a fair trial. The Senate owes the nation a legitimate trial of President Trump who was impeached by the House of Representatives for abusing the power of his office to deny critical military aid to an U.S. ally in an attempt to coerce them into launching an unwarranted investigation of his political rival Joe Biden. The trial proposal floated by Sen. McConnell would amount to nothing more than a fact-free sham trial perpetrated in the dead of night.

Any Senator voting for this proposal is voting to bring shame upon themselves and upon the United States Senate. The trial proposal would not necessarily allow witnesses, hear new evidence, or even admit existing evidence from the House unless a majority of Senators agree to it. The trial as proposed by Sen. McConnell would be a rush to a predetermined judgement – a disgraceful judgement condoning the abuse of the powers of the office of the President of the United States. We urge Republican Senators to put their country before their party and reject the show trial proposed by Sen. McConnell. History and the American people are watching.