Convictions

Today there was a lot of news. First the presidents former campaign head Paul Manafort was found guilty of multiple felony charges. Second the presidents former lawyer Michael Cohen plead guilty to multiple felony charges and as testified under oath that the president was involved. By American law the president cannot be tried criminally until he is out of office. For a president to be removed from office lawfully he has to be impeached.

The first step of impeachment is for a majority of congress to indict the president. For the house to investigate they need reasonable suspicion and for an indictment they need probable cause.  The second step is for a trial with the Supreme Court Chief Justice as the Judge as the Senate as the Jury. For a convent 2/3 of the senate must vote guilty beyond a reasonable doubt otherwise he is found not guilty. Currently the president has only been under investigation but has not been charged with anything.

There have been other presidents who have faced worse situations before. President Bill Clinton was Indicted and found not guilty by the senate for lying. President Nixon resigned days before the house was scheduled to vote on impeachment and was latter pardoned before a grand jury could vote on inditing him for stealing. President Johnson in the 1800's was indicted and found not guilty by the senate for contempt of congress.

As can be seen this adds additional importance to the upcoming election. The next congress could be  responsible for investigating the president. The next senate could be the jury in a potential trial of the senate. It is not our job to rush to judgment on the president and assume guilt or innocence. That jobs belongs to congress and nobody else no matter how popular or responsible they have been so far. The need to step up in order to make sure that a just and bipartisan investigation is reached. The truth needs to come out.

I do not want a travesty of justice where the investigation ends with one party saying guilty and the other innocent like the Clinton trial joke where every member voted along party lines. I was about 3 years old and even I know that neither party wanted justice. I do not know if the president is guilty or innocent but I hope that congress gets to the bottom of it.