Trump impeachment: Steve Chabot and Jim Jordan might battle for top GOP spot on pivotal House Judiciary Committee.

Scott Wartman | Cincinnati Enquirer

Show Caption Hide Caption Rep. Steve Chabot re-elected in Ohio's 1st district Rep. Steve Chabot delivers remarks after winning re-election in Ohio's 1st district

Rep. Steve Chabot, fresh off a tough re-election campaign, now has a new battle.

At stake is the top Republican spot on the powerful House Judiciary Committee, a key committee where any investigations or impeachment of President Donald Trump would begin.

The competition could put him at odds with his fellow Ohio Republican colleague and congressman, Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, who Politico reported is Trump's preference for the post.

If the Democrats launch investigations into Trump's administration when they take over in January, Chabot wants to be in the middle of the fray for the Republicans.

He opposes impeachment, saying there's no evidence Trump has done anything illegal.

"We know the Democratic base is going to be urging and pushing the Democrats in the judiciary committee to move forward on impeachment on everybody from cabinet officials to the president of the United States," Chabot told The Enquirer.

Jordan, an ideological firebrand who's closely aligned himself with Trump, just lost his bid for House Minority Leader to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican.

Jordan's staff insisted on Thursday when asked by The Enquirer he's not made up his mind to seek the judiciary post and had no further comment.

Chabot, on the other hand, has campaigned for the chairmanship of the judiciary since May. Chabot can't become chairman since the Republicans lost control of the House in the Nov. 6 election. But Chabot would still like to be the most senior Republican - known as the "ranking member" - on the committee.

"I'd be in the thick of it," Chabot said. "We'd be defending the president."

Chabot's not concerned about Jordan or Trump's apparent endorsement of Jordan. He did agree it's unusual for a president to meddle in committee appointments.

Would Jordan be more sympathetic to Trump as the most senior GOP congressman of the judiciary? Chabot didn't want to say.

"Jim's been on Fox News a lot talking about these issues," Chabot said. "I generally prefer to reserve my judgment until the facts are in so that we are providing an unbiased view. The president watches TV. He's seen people talk about things on TV. He's apparently come to some conclusion (about Jordan). I don't think it'll play a huge role in what the steering committee decides."

Chabot said he expects the Republican Steering Committee to decide in the week after Thanksgiving who the GOP leader of the judiciary will be.

Chabot and the other candidates, who include Georgia Republican Rep. Doug Collins, will make their pitch before the committee then.

Chabot's argument for why he should get the job involves one of the main criticisms his opponent, Democrat Aftab Pureval, lobbed at him during a bitter campaign.

"To repeat something you've heard ad nauseam this year, I've been in Congress 22 years, including on the judiciary 22 years," Chabot said. "That experience is valuable."

Chabot helped lead the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998.

He's one of the few remaining Republican House members who was involved in Clinton's impeachment proceedings. Chabot served as one of 13 impeachment floor managers, a job similar to a prosecutor in that they oversaw the presentation of the case against Clinton.

Clinton's case was different than Trump's, Chabot said. Trump hasn't perjured himself like Clinton, he said.

Chabot wouldn't rule out impeachment of Trump in the future.

"I've not seen evidence thus far of high crimes and misdemeanors or anything else," Chabot said. "We haven't had the Mueller report finished yet."