Sen. Mitch McConnell breaks impeachment oath before taking it Opinion: Imagine a jury foreman announcing that the defendant was innocent even before the trial starts. Wait...you don't have to.

EJ Montini | The Republic | azcentral.com

Sen. Mitch McConnell has announced that if you are a Republican member of the U.S. Senate sworn oaths do not matter.

Imagine that.

Prior to an impeachment trial, according to Article I, section 3, clause 6 of the Constitution, says the senators serving as a jury “shall be on Oath or Affirmation.”

According to the Senate Rules in Impeachment Trials that oath is:

”I solemnly swear (or affirm) that in all things appertaining to the trial of ____, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help me God.”

McConnell (and, according to him, every other Republican senator) has broken that oath even before taking it.

McConnell told Fox News that he will coordinate with White House lawyers defending President Donald Trump, adding, “There is no chance the president is going to be removed from office.”

It’s like a jury foreman announcing that a defendant is innocent before the trial begins.

McConnell said, "We have no choice but to take it up. But we'll be working through this process hopefully in a fairly short period of time, in total coordination with the White House counsel's office and the people who are representing the president, in the way all of the Senate."

Imagine that.

A jury foreman coordinating with the defense attorneys.

Oaths…do…not…matter

Sworn oaths.

First, senators swear to protect the Constitution. Next, they’ll swear to “do impartial justice” in an impeachment trial.

Except, they won’t.

McConnell already announced the verdict.

The senate president and his wife attend an evangelical Christian church. He has spoken about the importance of his faith.

I wonder if McConnell has noticed that the very last phrase in the impeachment trial oath, just after the promise to be impartial, is “so help me God.”

If McConnell hasn’t noticed, God has.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.