I agree with you. Impeachment would simply be looked at as a tot-for-tat political reprisal by Republicans for the Democrats’ impeachment of Trump. Criminal referrals might just get even the low-infos beginning to wonder if the old geezer might really be a crook after all.
That doesn’t matter. Or rather it’s exactly the point. They should NOT be allowed to get away with a bogus impeachment of our guy without getting one right back in the teeth. Of course they might say it was payback for Clintoon but that wasn’t bogus. Biteme is getting jerked around by all the groups he took bribes from in Ukraine and China, and that’s what’s driving our foreign policy now. He MUST be impeached.
Do Both!
It could be that they are continuing the impeachment because it gives them more subpoena power. If no formal impeachment procedure, they couldn’t do anything.