Democrats consider what articles of impeachment actually look like

Source: CNN

(CNN)Democrats are discussing the scope and scale of potential articles of impeachment into President Donald Trump, lawmakers and aides tell CNN. The explosive testimony House lawmakers have obtained in their month-old impeachment inquiry is only one aspect of the impeachment work taking place, they say. The discussion about the parameters of the articles of impeachment -- the crux of any vote to indict Trump -- has also begun among members.

"People are beginning to think of what it would look like," said Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and member of Democratic leadership. Cicilline made clear in an interview with CNN that the talks are preliminary, but both staff and members have discussed the broad shape of what the articles may look like. Lawmakers and aides told CNN that the work is in its early stages, and ultimately is contingent on the report filed by the committees conducting the investigation. The early work also stands to form the backbone of a complicated decision looming over House Democratic leaders -- how broadly to go after the President.

"We're having discussions about what the likely articles would be, at the committee level and I think everyone is thinking about what it will be," Cicilline said. "But we're obviously going to wait until the evidence is referred to the Judiciary Committee." Lawmakers and aides tell CNN that the focus -- at the moment -- is on the investigation itself with the House Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees taking the lead in almost-daily interviews with witnesses they hope can shed light on why nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine was withheld and whether Trump used his office to garner political favors from the new government there. But for members not part of those investigations, there is plenty of speculation about how to approach the next phase of the process: drafting the formal Articles of Impeachment.

"It is reasonable to say that it would be staffer malpractice not to have some of this stuff ready with the facts we already have in hand," one Democratic aide told CNN. Rank-and-file members are also taking a closer look at exactly how to structure their articles -- reviewing the way both the Nixon and Clinton articles of impeachment were written with two divergent views developing within the caucus.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/24/politics/democrats-writing-articles-of-impeachment/index.html