Test for Impeachment

Test for Impeachment by Bill Wilson

The Constitution states in Article II Section 4: The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Let us examine together the accusations leveled by President Donald Trump's former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen and determine with common sense if the building blocks of impeachment laid out in his testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform meet the impeachment requirements. Granted "high Crimes and Misdemeanors" lends a fairly broad booth to land charges, but the context of Section 4 centers on "high" Crimes and Misdemeanors, not minor ones.

Cohen said: "I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat."

These are opinions, not impeachable offenses. No doubt that many presidents, some of them beloved by their electorate, were racists, conmen and cheats.

Cohen said Trump, "knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails."

WikiLeaks did America a favor by showing the truth about the Democratic Party and its nefarious dealings, hypocrisy, and disdain for the people it says it represents. Knowing about it and being excited for its release is not an impeachable offense.

Let us remember that the very same Democratic Party, its sitting president and its nominated candidate for president paid to fabricate a dossier to damage Trump.

At least WikiLeaks was genuine and true.

Cohen said he was providing: "A copy of a check Mr. Trump wrote from his personal bank account - after he became president - to reimburse me for the hush money payments I made to cover up his affair with an adult film star and prevent damage to his campaign."

That check could have been written for any of Cohen's services. Federal prosecutors say this could be an impeachable offense because it might be considered an illegal contribution to benefit Trump's campaign. This is a stretch, but it could happen. Keep in mind, however, that it is not a crime to write personal checks to pay someone to keep silent who is not an employee of the government. Notwithstanding, this is the rack where the impeachment hat will be hung.

The other accusations in Cohen's testimony about a Trump hotel business deal (that didn't materialize) in Russia, Trump not wanting his grades and SAT scores revealed, his financial dealings, and his funneling money to have his portrait be the highest auction bid are very minor-especially compared with Hillary Clinton having a "pay for access" scheme to enrich the Clinton Foundation when she was Secretary of State.

Bottom line: Trump is probably not the example of ethics and morals that best suit the office he holds, but these themes being used to remove him from office reveal that his accusers are far less examples of the same.

As Christ said in Mark 7:6, "Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

Hypocrisy abounds hiding the cocoon of truth.