Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters told the Senate floor on Tuesday that he will vote to convict President Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment.
Here is Peters’ full statement:
Recommended Videos
“As an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and as a U.S. Senator, I took an oath to support and defend the U.S. Constitution. After solemn consideration of the facts and evidence presented to the Senate, I have concluded that the President violated his oath of office and betrayed the public trust by putting his own personal and political interests before the people of Michigan and our country.
“The evidence presented to the Senate by the House of Representatives was compelling, and was not effectively refuted by the President’s lawyers. The facts clearly showed the President abused the power of his office by illegally holding up critical military aid to extort Ukraine, a vulnerable ally at war with Russia. The President leveraged the good will of the American people and conditioned release of the aid on Ukraine announcing an investigation that would falsely discredit his political rival. His actions were not an effort to further official U.S. foreign policy but rather an unbridled effort to benefit his own re-election campaign by using taxpayer money for a corrupt purpose. The President also engaged in an unprecedented cover up of his activities by stonewalling and obstructing congressional oversight, blocking relevant key witnesses and withholding documents necessary for full transparency.
“The Framers of the Constitution rightly feared that unchecked power by a President, along with corrupt foreign influences, would pose a grave threat to our republic. The President’s conduct violated the American people’s trust, threatens our democracy, and I will vote to hold him accountable for his actions as demanded by the U.S. Constitution. If we do not stand up and defend our democracy during this fragile period — then the Senate is allowing this President and future presidents to have unchecked power without accountability.”
The Senate is scheduled to vote on the two impeachment articles Wednesday afternoon.
The president is charged with abuse of power over his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, using military aid to the country as leverage. Trump is also charged with obstructing Congress’ ensuing probe.
Related: McConnell blasts impeachment, will vote to acquit Trump