A Dec. 17 letter writer pointed to supposed hypocrisy by Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer in calling for a Senate trial with "all the facts considered fully and fairly" and claimed House Democrats voted to impeach President Donald Trump without sufficient evidence because witnesses were only those approved by Democratic committee chair Rep. Adam Schiff ("It will stain Trump's legacy for good"). Wow.
That ignores that Trump himself directed multiple witnesses to ignore House subpoenas, which is sufficient evidence for the first article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress.
Multitudes of witnesses attested that Trump inappropriately abused his power for political gain. They provided more than enough evidence to support article two, abuse of power. No sideshow witnesses could change that.
The evidence Trump is hiding, from the witnesses he directed not to testify to the contents of the full transcript of his conversation with the Ukrainian president, which was locked down, will most likely be further evidence to support impeachment. The Senate trial should consider, as Democratic Senate Minority Leader Schumer says, all the facts.
Paul Rozycki, Minneapolis
• • •
One point many journalists, pundits and, most recently, legal scholars continue to make is the inaccuracy that Trump "attempted to meddle in the 2020 election by coercing a foreign government to investigate his most likely opponent, Joe Biden" ("Local legal scholars write on impeachment," Opinion Exchange, Dec. 17). This is not quite true. In fact, the evidence overwhelmingly shows Trump coerced Ukraine only to announce it would investigate Biden. Trump did not care whether the country actually did; he only wanted that fact as a 2020 campaign talking point.
It is a huge distinction especially given the fact that Trump's apologists defend his actions because they claim he was actually concerned about corruption in Ukraine, which he was not — just as he is not concerned about corruption in, say, Russia, China or North Korea.
Douglas Johnson, Minnetonka
• • •
I had a thought for Reps. Angie Craig, Dean Phillips and the other Democrats who are being forced to vote to impeach: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jerry Nadler know the Democrats can't win the election next year! So, they are protecting their own skin by doing this. They are doing what the hard left and other factions want, and it is no skin off their backs. They are in safe districts and will still have their jobs for years to come.