Three Michigan Congressional delegates are joining calls for an inquiry into the possibility that President Trump attempted to coerce a foreign government into investigating a political rival.
Over the weekend, reports emerged of a call Trump had with the Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky in July. A whistleblower claimed that Trump had suggested Zelensky investigate former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's son, Hunter, who worked with a gas company owned by a Ukranian oligarch.
The allegations are advancing by the day, and calls for impeachment have been growing. Now, Michigan Congresswomen Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), and Haley Stevens (MI-11) have voiced their support for impeachment.
Rep. Slotkin joined seven other Democratic representatives in a Washington Post op-ed Tuesday calling the allegations "a threat to all we have sworn to protect."
In an interview with NPR's Morning Edition, Slotkin said, "If these allegations are true, these are impeachable offenses."
"It's one thing for candidate Trump to sort of put out a general call to the Russians and others saying, 'Hey, if you have any dirt, send it my way.' It's a very different thing for a sitting President of the United States to use taxpayer dollars —not security assistance, it's taxpayer dollars —to leverage a political investigation by a foreign leader. It's just beyond the pale."
Rep. Haley Stevens said in a press release Tuesday morning, "If investigations confirm recent reports, these actions represent impeachable offences that threaten to undermine the integrity of our elections and jeopardize the balance of power within the federal government."
Stevens is also urging the House Judiciary and Intelligance Committees to investigate "numerous unethical and potentially illegal acts by the President and his Administration."
Rep. Dingell announced her support of impeachment in an interview on MSNBC and a tweet.
This country is divided. We cannot be divided on the rule of law. As an elected official my oath is to protect national security and the Constitution.
After recent revelations, I support an impeachment inquiry because we must follow the facts and hold the President accountable.— Rep. Debbie Dingell (@RepDebDingell) September 24, 2019
Until now, all three Congresswomen had opposed impeachment. Rep. Dingell has argued impeachment would "tear the country apart."
By supporting impeachment, they join the rest of the Michigan House Democrats (Reps. Dan Kildee of Flint Township, Brenda Lawrence of Southfield, Rashida Tlaib of Detroit and Andy Levin of Bloomfield Township) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Slotkin and Stevens both represent districts that voted for Trump.
Copyright 2019 Michigan Radio
