Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va, said on Thursday that he believes it鈥檚 now time to begin an impeachment inquiry, citing possible obstruction of justice outlined in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller鈥檚 report, while also stating that President Donald Trump 鈥渉as stained the Oval Office with his racism, xenophobia and bigotry.鈥�
Connolly, who represents Northern Virginia鈥檚 11th District, is a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which has clashed repeatedly with the White House over requests for information related to a wide range of investigations. In a statement, Connolly charged that the president 鈥渁t every opportunity has chosen to disregard the rule of law and our constitution for his own enrichment.鈥�
The Democratic lawmaker also said it is important not to become 鈥渄esensitized鈥� to the president鈥檚 behavior.
鈥淎t every moment, whether it was in the aftermath of Charlottesville, or El Paso or Dayton, he has failed to heal our country and call us to our better angels,鈥� he said. 鈥淚nstead, he has stained the Oval Office with his racism, xenophobia and bigotry.鈥�
He sent out a :
I believe the time has come for the House of Representatives to begin an impeachment inquiry into President Donald J. Trump.
My full statement:
— Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly)
Another Virginia Democrat, Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who represents the 10th District, recently announced .
Many other Washington-area Democrats support an impeachment inquiry, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, as well as House Oversight. He has said that the House has already effectively begun an 鈥渋mpeachment investigation.鈥�
More than half of House Democrats are now on the record as supporting an impeachment inquiry.
The issue of impeachment was also featured prominently in a court filing made on Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee, which filed suit to compel the testimony of former White House counsel Don McGahn. The Mueller report states that the president at one point directed that McGahn fire the special counsel, which he declined to do.
鈥淢cGahn is the Judiciary Committee’s most important fact witness in its consideration of whether to recommend articles of impeachment and its related investigation of misconduct by the president, including acts of obstruction of justice described in the special counsel鈥檚 report,鈥� the filing on behalf of the committee states.
McGahn鈥檚 attorney said the president has instructed his client to cooperate with the special counsel, but directed him not to testify to Congress, unless the White House and lawmakers reached an agreement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while steadily supporting committee efforts to investigate the president, has resisted call to begin a formal impeachment inquiry. She has said lawmakers will continue to 鈥渇ollow the facts鈥� and see where they go.
Republicans have sharply criticized Democrats, arguing that they are pursing various investigations in an effort to politically damage the president鈥檚 re-election chances.
