Posted on 09/28/2019 1:45:19 AM PDT by robowombat
First House Republican backs impeachment inquiry
Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) on Friday became the first House Republican to voice support for an impeachment inquiry into President Trump.
In a conference call with reporters, Amodei made clear he wouldn’t vote to impeach Trump, but he also expressed concern over the president’s dealings with Ukraine, adding that the House should “put it through the process and see what happens.”
“I’m a big fan of oversight, so let’s let the committees get to work and see where it goes,” he said, according to audio of the call released by The Nevada Independent.
“Using government agencies to, if it’s proven, to put your finger on the scale of an election, I don’t think that’s right,” Amodei added. “If it turns out that it’s something along those lines, then there’s a problem.”
He later issued a statement after The Independent’s piece was published, emphasizing he was not in favor of impeaching Trump but supportive of the investigative approach.
“In no way, shape, or form, did I indicate support for impeachment," he said.
Amodei, who represents a ruby red district in northern Nevada, said he agreed with a statement from Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in which she said, “We have to follow the facts and figure out what happened here.”
His comments came amid an uproar on Capitol Hill over a July 25 conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when Trump suggested Kiev launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, one of the president’s chief political rivals.
“There's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great," Trump said on the call, according to a memorandum. "Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it... It sounds horrible to me.”
A declassified version of a whistleblower complaint regarding the conversation says “multiple White House officials with direct knowledge” of the call expressed concern that Trump was using his office for his personal political gain. The complaint also revealed the White House sought to conceal a transcript of the call and that a future phone call or meeting with Ukraine “would depend on whether Zelensky showed willingness to ‘play ball.’”
Trump has accused Biden of misconduct over his efforts to convince Ukraine to dismiss a prosecutor who was investigating a natural gas company on whose board his son sat. Biden says he wanted the prosecutor dismissed over insufficient efforts to tackle corruption, and no evidence has emerged to suggest Biden acted to benefit his son.
Amodei said Trump’s phrasing was inartful, but that it was not proof of any wrongdoing.
“If it was my statement and I had the ability to do it over, I would probably phrase it differently,” Amodei said of Trump’s phone call with Zelensky, adding, “I don’t know that it’s a smoking gun.”
“I think that’s why we have the committee process,” he continued. “Part of what the committees will do is try to find some context for that and then based on what a fair reading of the context is, they’ll go forward from there.”
Rep. Justin Amash, an independent from Michigan, left the Republican Party months after he said special counsel Robert Mueller's report showed Trump "engaged in impeachable conduct."
Amodei, the lone Republican in Nevada's congressional delegation, has repeatedly won reelection by double digits in his district, including in 2018 when he defeated Democrat Clint Koble by more than 16 points.
He’s too stupid to be in Congress. In this white hot Ukraine hoax, the dumb ass can’t support the President 100%, but rather tries to grab attention by being on two sides of the fence. Another Romney type.
Leo lets put a damper on them by posting his retraction on that thread and then see what happens.
What a colossal idiot he is. Just colossal and I suspect he thinks he is smart, clever and open minded. He is more of a useful dolt.
Such a statement is remarkable!
Has Amodei read the transcript or does he get his information from CNN? What medication is he taking?
Too lazy to read the transcript for himself, or too busy stuffing his pockets to do his job.
Disgusting
Possibly, though force-feeding the Democrats the crap sandwich they made may be the goal here.
Let me guess. He’s a Mormon.
Born yesterday.
Bullshit! He is a lying son of a bitch. He can’t wait to vote to impeach President Trump. The Republicans can’t wait to jump on his back. Weasel words.
Kevin McCarthy another bad choice. The child shows no spine. And willingness to make a difference.
I wonder if the Democrats will call former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei to testify?
Top Iranian official: We’ll catch Trump, put him on trial
Isn’t this IRONIC.
This jerk is saying that President Trump’s words were “inartful.”
And now he is claiming that his words were “misunderstood.”
He should stop worrying about the President’s words and be careful with his own “words.”
Remember, the vast majority of Congress Critters and other high-level DC players have been controlled by blackmail. It is just those so controlled in the safest districts to come out first on a particular position who are the first nudged to do so.
Oh look, another backstabbing Republican piece of crap.
Who?
I guess he represents an East California district.
No, he already backtracked.
It isn't conspiracy theory anymore.
White Horse Prophecy believers. Bet on it.
Uh, well, we have the transcript so we know exactly “what happened”...which was nothing.
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