The introduction of articles of impeachment announced by a congressman Thursday, the first day of the new session of Congress, earned some criticism from a fellow California Democrat.
Rep. Eric Swalwell said the introduction of articles of impeachment “is not a move that I support” in a CNN interview Thursday night.
Earlier in the day, Rep. Brad Sherman said he planned to re-introduce the articles, which he first helped put forward in 2017, charging that President Trump obstructed justice.
[Read more: Freshman Democrat: ‘We’re gonna go in and impeach the motherf–ker’]
Swalwell, echoing party leaders, said that the evidence isn’t there — yet.
“We’re going to look where Republicans were unwilling to look before, and build an air-tight case, if that’s what’s necessary, seek bipartisan buy-in, and make sure that if we go that way, the American people understand why,” he said. “But we should not be as reckless with the facts as Donald Trump is, and we should give him a fairer investigation that he deserves.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had said the Democrats would wait for the results of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling, an investigation that has already led to charges and guilty pleas from some of the president’s former advisers.
Swalwell, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, said the committee will send Mueller unredacted transcripts of testimony by witnesses whom he said were not straightforward.
“I hope those witnesses are held accountable and it helps Bob Mueller’s investigation,” he said.
