When impeachment proof falls short, Democrats shift the goal posts: Rep. Andy Biggs As the doors to Adam Schiff’s Soviet-style hearings open, America will see members of the bureaucratic deep state resolved to remove their commander in chief: Opposing view

Andy Biggs | Opinion contributor

Show Caption Hide Caption Why a president can be impeached and remain in office Impeaching a U.S. president might not be the be-all-end-all for their career. We explain why this is the case.

Since the election of President Donald Trump, Democrats have made impeachment their No. 1 goal. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has finally agreed to let the American public see what has been going on in his closed-door, Soviet-style hearings.

For two years, Democrats chased the Russian collusion hoax. Former special counsel Robert Mueller concluded that then-candidate Trump had not criminally colluded with the Russians in the 2016 election. Democrats then alleged obstruction of justice, but that, too, crumbled.

Mueller’s testimony before a congressional hearing fell flat, so Democrats, always searching for an excuse to attack the president (no matter how tangential), shifted their efforts to the Ukrainian phone call hoax.

Details of the July 25 call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were leaked after a so-called whistleblower worked with Democratic staff on the House Intelligence Committee.

Once again, the facts do not match the Democrats’ narrative.

The Ukrainian president and foreign minister insist that there was no pressure exerted on them regarding the release of U.S. foreign aid. President Trump released the transcript of the July 25 phone call showing no wrongdoing and no impeachable offense.

OUR VIEW: Trump impeachment hearings — quid meet quo

Instead of laying out their case in public, Chairman Schiff and the Intelligence Committee majority proceeded to depose witnesses in private, away from the American people, the news media and most members of Congress.

Adam Schiff once promised that the “whistleblower” would testify before Congress but now threatens anyone who “exposes” this individual’s identity. He is hiding the whistleblower’s obvious conflict of interest and bias.

The “whistleblower” statutes are to protect someone from employer retaliation but do not grant immunity for illegal conduct. We must hear from the “whistleblower” because it appears he received and disclosed classified information in an illegal manner.

Now, Democrats have moved from their earlier charge of “quid pro quo” to wild allegations of “abuse of power,” “extortion” and “bribery.” When the proof falls short, they continue to shift the goal posts from one unsubstantiated allegation to another.

As the doors to Schiff’s Soviet-style hearings open this week, the world will have the opportunity to see firsthand this sham that disregards fairness, truth and due process. The world will see his relentless pursuit of the most-partisan impeachment in American history, and members of the bureaucratic deep state resolved to remove their commander in chief.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., is chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.

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