Houston congresswoman floats impeachment over Trump wiretapping claim

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) leaves a press conference Sunday where she denounced President Donald Trump's proposed funding cuts to community support programs like Meals on Wheels, and floated the possibility of impeachment proceedings if a Monday hearing with FBI director James Comey turns up no evidence to substantiate Trump's claim that former President Barack Obama wiretapped him. less U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) leaves a press conference Sunday where she denounced President Donald Trump's proposed funding cuts to community support programs like Meals on Wheels, and floated the ... more Image 1 of / 56 Caption Close Houston congresswoman floats impeachment over Trump wiretapping claim 1 / 56 Back to Gallery

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, said Sunday that President Donald Trump's repeated claims he was wire tapped by former President Barack Obama could provide grounds for impeachment if a Monday hearing with the FBI director does not produce evidence to substantiate the allegation.

James Comey is scheduled to testify before the U.S. House Intelligence Committee at 9 a.m. Monday, and Jackson Lee said she expects lawmakers to demand an answer on whether the president had grounds for accusing his predecessor of a crime.

The president tweeted on March 4 to his nearly 27 million followers he had "just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump tower." He reiterated the claim in two more tweets that accused Obama of "a new low" and called him a "bad (or sick) guy."

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

The White House has stood by the claim while declining to cite evidence, asking for more time to meet a deadline issued by the intelligence committee. On Friday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer cited a Fox News report alleging a spy agency in the United Kingdom helped Obama tap Trump's phone wires. That comment drew fury from U.K. officials and Spicer retracted the claim.

"If you do not have any proof and you have been saying this for three weeks," Jackson Lee said, "then you are clearly on the edge of the question of public trust and those actions can be associated with high crimes and misdemeanors for which articles of impeachment can be drawn."

Impeachment proceedings against U.S. president Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were both conducted based on allegations of "high crimes and misdemeanors" one of three impeachable offenses listed in the U.S. Constitution, alongside treason and bribery. Scholarly works, including one by founding father Alexander Hamilton, have named violations of public trust within that category.

Any article of impeachment would originate in the House Judiciary Committee, where Jackson Lee serves as a senior member. That article would be sent to the House chamber for a hearing and a vote, then sent to the Senate, which would either convict or acquit the president. Impeachment proceedings would require Republican support to pass in both chambers, Lee conceded.

She expressed hope that Comey's testimony would provide clarity on a debate that has stalled over a lack of evidence pit against the White House's refusal to back down.

"Tomorrow will be a very important day," she said. "There should be a final statement made, yes or no. Did President Barack Obama wiretap the now 45th president of the United States? Did a sitting president violate the law, perpetrate a criminal act? This has to be answered."