New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) President
Hank Greenberg released the following statement regarding the impeachment
of President Donald J. Trump by the U.S. House of Representatives on December
18, 2019:
“The U.S. Senate must now conduct a trial,
presided over by the Chief Justice of the United States. Each Senator will take an oath in which they
“solemnly swear” to ‘do impartial justice according to the Constitution and
laws.’”
“The Senators who
sit in judgment of the President bear an awesome responsibility. There are few — if
any — weightier matters in our constitutional scheme of
government than the potential removal of a president.”
“The impeachment process was not intended to be
a purely political exercise. The coming trial is an extraordinarily
solemn and sober proceeding that should be determined in accordance with the
facts and applicable law.”
“At stake is the rule of law itself, which is
the foundation of America.”
“If the evidence shows
that President Trump committed an impeachable offense, Senators should vote to
remove him from office. If the evidence
is insufficient, the President should be acquitted.”
“If Senators cast
their votes based on partisanship or political bias, they will have violated
their oaths and rendered meaningless the Constitution’s impeachment
provisions.”
“Moreover, if they
acquit against the evidence, if they sanction proven lawlessness by the
President, they will establish a precedent that could transform the very nature
of our system of government.”
“The rule of law is our sacred inheritance.
For the sake of future generations, we must demand the Senate give the
full measure of devotion to our founding principles.”
Contact: Susan DeSantis
[email protected]
518/487-5780
