Meet the Democrats prosecuting Trump’s impeachment – POLITICO

Pelosis list reflects her desire for geographic, racial and gender diversity among the impeachment managers, and it draws from the Democratic Caucus wide swath of legal and national security-related experience.

Schiff was the de facto leader of the impeachment inquiry and has, over the years, cemented his status as Public Enemy No. 1 for Trump and his allies. During the trial, Schiff, 59, a close Pelosi ally and former federal prosecutor who earned his law degree from Harvard Law School, could be afforded an open-ended soliloquy to outline the presidents alleged misconduct. Giving Trumps political nemesis an uninterrupted stage on the Senate floor could test the notoriously mercurial presidents patience as he vacillates between a desire for a quick, dismissive trial and a robust one that includes a slate of his hand-picked witnesses. Trump has even mused about calling Schiff himself as a witness, though its highly unlikely that Senate Republicans would agree to such a move. Pelosi said Schiff will serve as the lead manager.

Nadler, a vocal Bill Clinton defender when the House impeached him in 1998, earned his spot atop the Judiciary panel in part based on a pitch that he has the constitutional know-how to lead a potential impeachment of the president. His committees efforts to pursue special counsel Robert Muellers evidence largely receded into the background while Schiffs panel led the Ukraine probe but the Judiciary Committee returned to the spotlight when it came time to draft articles of impeachment. The panel also issued lengthy reports about the constitutional underpinnings of the case against Trump, which padded Congress thin precedent on the issue. The 72-year-old Nadler, a Fordham Law School graduate, will likely buttress Schiffs presentation of facts by laying out the reason Trumps alleged offenses warrant removal from office.

Lofgren has more impeachment-related experience than perhaps any lawmaker in Washington. She was a staffer for the Judiciary Committee during the impeachment inquiry into Richard Nixon, and was a member of the panel during Bill Clintons impeachment in 1998. She ran for chair of the Judiciary Committee ahead of the swearing-in of the new Congress in 2019, but lost the race to Nadler. Lofgren, 72, was first elected in 1994 and got her law degree from Santa Clara University.

Jeffries, 49, has quickly risen through the ranks since his election to the House in 2012, and he has been floated as a future House speaker. Jeffries, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, was chosen as the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus after his party took control of the chamber in the 2018 midterm elections. He has stood out in committee hearings and on cable television as a vocal critic of Trump and a forceful Pelosi ally and defender. While dozens of House Democrats were announcing their support for an impeachment inquiry last summer, Jeffries remained aligned with the speaker, who was resisting an inquiry until the Ukraine scandal blew up. He got his law degree from New York University.

While she isnt a lawyer, Demings, 62, has an extensive background in law enforcement and was a standout during the impeachment hearings. Demings, the former Orlando police chief, is one of just two Democrats who sits on both the Intelligence and Judiciary committees, giving her a uniquely prevalent role during the Houses two-part impeachment process. She also brings geographic, racial and gender diversity to the lineup of impeachment managers a key priority for Pelosi.

Crow, 40, was a surprise choice, but Pelosi has leaned heavily on the so-called national security freshmen in the Democratic Caucus during her deliberations for the impeachment process. Crow, serving in his first term, doesnt sit on any of the committees charged with investigating Trump. But he is a former Army captain who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he received his law degree at the University of Denver. He was one of seven national security-oriented freshman lawmakers who wrote an op-ed in September calling for an impeachment inquiry after the Ukraine scandal came to light. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Garcia, 69, was also an unexpected selection to be an impeachment manager, but she serves on the Judiciary Committee and is a former municipal judge in Houston. Garcia, a freshman lawmaker, brings racial, gender and geographic diversity to the lineup of impeachment managers. She received her law degree from Texas Southern University. Her district covers much of Houston, where she also served as the citys controller.

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Meet the Democrats prosecuting Trump's impeachment - POLITICO