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Impeachment proceedings may be commenced in the House of Representatives by a Member declaring a charge of impeachment on his or her own initiative,by a Member presenting a memorial listing charges under oath, or by a Member depositing a resolution in the hopper, which is then referred to the appropriate committee. The impeachment process may be triggered by non-Members, such as when the Judicial Conference of the United States suggests that the House may wish to consider impeachment of a federal judge, where an independent counsel advises the House of any substantial and credible information which he or she believes might constitute grounds for impeachment, by message from the President, by a charge from a state or territorial legislature or grand jury, or by petition.
EU diplomats working on Ukraine at the time have, however, told the FT that they were looking for ways to persuade Kiev to remove Mr Shokin well before Mr Biden entered the picture. The push for Mr Shokin’s removal was part of an international effort to bolster Ukraine’s institutions following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the armed conflict in the eastern part of the country.
“All of us were really pushing [former Ukrainian president Petro] Poroshenko that he needs to do something, because the prosecutor was not following any of the corruption issues. He was really bad news,” said an EU diplomat involved in the discussions. “It was Biden who finally came in [and triggered it]. Biden was the most vocal, as the US usually is. But we were all literally complaining about the prosecutor.”
Bowing to pressure from international donors, the Ukrainian Parliament voted on Tuesday to remove a prosecutor general who had clung to power for months despite visible signs of corruption.
The United States and other Western nations had for months called for the ousting of Mr. Shokin, who was widely criticized for turning a blind eye to corrupt practices and for defending the interests of a venal and entrenched elite. He was one of several political figures in Kiev whom reformers and Western diplomats saw as a worrying indicator of a return to past corrupt practices, two years after a revolution that was supposed to put a stop to self-dealing by those in power. As the problems festered, Kiev drew increasingly sharp criticism from Western diplomats and leaders. In a visit in December, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said corruption was eating Ukraine “like a cancer.” Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, which props up Ukraine financially, said last month that progress was so slow in fighting corruption that “it’s hard to see how the I.M.F.-supported program can continue.”
originally posted by: Oraculi
Time and time again, on this forum and elsewhere I go and read, I see people claim complete and total ignorance of the American law and take an almost military like stance that others HAVE TO explain to them how the law works, or somehow in the absence of their understanding the law breaks down and doesn't apply. We know this is child like behavior and ignorance is no excuse, so I will do my part and list the currently known crime the president is being investigated for.
I am listing the original letter of warning from the Federal Election Commission that it is a crime to ask for anything in a US election from a foreign national, I am posting a link to the clause in our law covering what is being discussed and I will post the body of the text so it can be easily seen. I will also change my forum signature to include this quote and the code reference so anyone who sees me post can always find it easily.
This should hopefully prevent people from pretending they don't know what they're talking about and shows them exactly what law the president is being investigated for allegedly having broken. Remember, these are all allegations and everyone is innocent until proven guilty in America. An investigation is the only way to get to the bottom of it, and an investigation into a sitting president is called an impeachment inquiry. It does not mean he is getting impeached, it just means he is getting investigated for allegations of a crime.
This crime:
FEC Commissioner
It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a US election.
52 U.S. Code § 30121. Contributions and donations by foreign nationals
(a) Prohibition It shall be unlawful for—
(1) a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make—
(A) a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election;
(B) a contribution or donation to a committee of a political party; or
(C) an expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication (within the meaning of section 30104(f)(3) of this title); or
(2) a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) from a foreign national.
(b) “Foreign national” defined As used in this section, the term “foreign national” means—
(1) a foreign principal, as such term is defined by section 611(b) of title 22, except that the term “foreign national” shall not include any individual who is a citizen of the United States; or
(2) an individual who is not a citizen of the United States or a national of the United States (as defined in section 1101(a)(22) of title 8) and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as defined by section 1101(a)(20) of title 8.
Once again, these are allegations of a crime but there is enough evidence that that president and his cabinet members may have been involved in this conspiracy to commit a crime that no options are left in our legal system but to investigate. It's literally the American way.
I hope this clears things up a little for those who have remained ignorant of the law through these proceedings and keep asking what crime has been committed.
originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: tanstaafl
I'm not incapable of anything regarding this discussion.
You don't seem to be able to understand that because YOU BELIEVE that there is some sort of Constitutional requirement for a formal resolution of the House before impeachment can begin that there actually is such a requirement.
You don't have, or have not presented, any evidence for your belief.
You keep droning on that your interpretation is the only one, and it's not, and you've resorted to insults which if anything weakens your case.
All of this is absurd, frankly,
We're not in the Mud Pit, you don't get to act this way.
You and others are MISLEAD in your belief which you apparently have picked up from the White House Counsel's letter.[/qoute]
? I've been saying the same thing long before the letter was publicized.
There is NO Constitutional requirement for a resolution to begin impeachment.
Repeating the same lie over and over doesn't make it the truth.
Yes, that has been done before, but it is not required, not in the COTUS,
And again, I have pointed you to the very words ion that very document that prove your claim to be false.
-snip- a bunch of yammering about nothing...
Here are all references in the COTUS to impeachment:
The House of Representatives ... shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. — Article I, Section 2, Clause 5
Bingo. Thank you for at least not making me post it again.
Now all you have to do is learn to read, with comprehension.
Now, answer the Questions:
What is the Process by which the House of Representatives makes its will known?
Your tried to make a big deal about my use of the phrase "Articles of Impeachment."
-snip-
You thought this was your AHA! moment, because that is the phrasing used by practice, and your argument seems to be that a resolution is required for the same reason. You are mistaken.
That comment actually makes zero sense - none - in context with the point being raised. I was responding to the words you typed. If you want me to respond to other words, use other words.
Again...
The resolution to your dilemma as to what you are missing lies in the answer to the simple question:
What is the Process by which the House of Representatives makes its will known?
Answer that, and either the light bulb will go off, or you'll stick your head back in the sand and drown in your own tears.
Oh - I thought you were done? Maybe now?