Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) doubled down his critiques of President Trump Thursday, saying in a lengthy Twitter thread that he took actions that were “inherently corrupt.”
Amash, who made headlines Saturday when he became the first Republican lawmaker to say Trump engaged in “impeachable conduct,” said special counsel Mueller’s report showed Trump sought to impede his investigation into Russian election interference.
“Mueller’s report describes a consistent effort by the president to use his office to obstruct or otherwise corruptly impede the Russian election interference investigation because it put his interests at risk,” Amash tweeted.
“President Trump had an incentive to undermine the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which included investigating contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign,” Amash continued, noting that the investigation ultimately uncovered “very unflattering information” about Trump and revealed crimes committed by his associates.
Mueller’s report describes a consistent effort by the president to use his office to obstruct or otherwise corruptly impede the Russian election interference investigation because it put his interests at risk.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
The Michigan Republican cited several examples of what Amash said were obstructive acts, including asking former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse his decision to recuse himself from overseeing Mueller’s probe, directing former White House Counsel Don McGahn to have Mueller removed, floating possible pardons to associates to urge them not to cooperate with the special counsel and more.
“Some of the president’s actions were inherently corrupt. Other actions were corrupt—and therefore impeachable—because the president took them to serve his own interests,” Amash said.
“The president has authority to fire federal officials, direct his subordinates, and grant pardons, but he cannot do so for corrupt purposes; otherwise, he would always be allowed to shut down any investigation into himself or his associates, which would put him above the law.”
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JUST IN: Justin Amash triples down on Trump impeachment: Some actions were “inherently corrupt” https://t.co/HMXxNI3kOA pic.twitter.com/9vnp94uwwl
— The Hill (@thehill) May 23, 2019
The president has an obligation not to violate the public trust, including using official powers for corrupt purposes. For instance, presidents have the authority to nominate judges, but a president couldn’t select someone to nominate because they’d promised the president money.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
President Trump had an incentive to undermine the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which included investigating contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
It also revealed criminal activities, some of which were committed by people in Trump’s orbit and, in the case of Michael Cohen’s campaign finance violation, on Trump’s behalf.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
Some excuse Trump’s conduct based on allegations of issues with the investigation, but no one disputes the appropriateness of investigating election interference, which included investigating contacts between the Trump campaign and people connected to the Russian government.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
1. Trump asked the FBI director to stop investigating Michael Flynn, who had been his campaign adviser and national security adviser, and who had already committed a crime by lying to the FBI.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
3. Trump directed the White House counsel, Don McGahn, to have Special Counsel Mueller removed on the basis of pretextual conflicts of interest that Trump’s advisers had already told him were “ridiculous” and could not justify removing the special counsel.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
5. Trump asked Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager, to tell AG Sessions to limit the special counsel’s investigation only to future election interference. Trump said Lewandowski should tell Sessions he was fired if he would not meet with him.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
Trump, through his own statements—such as complaining about people who "flip" and talk to investigators—and through communications between his personal counsel and Manafort/Cohen, gave the impression that they would be pardoned if they did not fully cooperate with investigators.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
Both men have been convicted for offering false information, and Manafort’s lack of cooperation left open some significant questions, such as why exactly he provided an associate in Ukraine with campaign polling data, which he expected to be shared with a Russian oligarch.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
The president has authority to fire federal officials, direct his subordinates, and grant pardons, but he cannot do so for corrupt purposes; otherwise, he would always be allowed to shut down any investigation into himself or his associates, which would put him above the law.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 23, 2019
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