Pelosi ally joins calls for impeachment

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Four Democrats have joined a slowly growing group calling for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, including a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a Democrat who flipped a Republican district.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a congressional veteran, said in a Twitter video posted that Trump “certainly has committed all kinds of offenses that meet the standard” for a formal charge by the House. Also Rep. Sean Casten told the Chicago Sun-Times that he wants Congress to use “every tool” to investigate Trump, even if that means paying a political price in the 2020 elections.

On Thursday, Rep. Tony Cardenas of California and Rep. Nydia Velazquez of New York tweeted separately that they had each come to the decision after studying special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

The lawmakers’ announcements came after former White House aide Hope Hicks refused to answer House Judiciary Committee questions on Wednesday about Trump during his presidency.

The new calls highlight a slowly growing chorus from almost 70 House members for an impeachment inquiry, though Democrats still oppose such a move. And Pelosi has resisted launching official proceedings without broad bipartisan support.