Michael Capuano reportedly blasted a fellow Democrat for pushing Trump impeachment
Rep. Michael Capuano has had no shortage of criticism for President Donald Trump. Hardly a week goes by without forceful denouncements of the Republican president’s actions or policies in the Massachusetts congressman’s weekly newsletter.
That said, Capuano reportedly castigated fellow Democratic members for pushing toward impeachment proceedings.
According reports from The Hill, Politico, and CNN, the Somerville Democrat stood up during a closed-door meeting Tuesday to criticize Rep. Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, for circulating a letter saying he had drafted an article of impeachment focusing on Trump’s potential obstruction of justice.
“Emotions are high,” Capuano reportedly said. “These issues have political implications and government ones.”
According to CNN, he called on his Democratic peers to “defend their actions before the entire caucus before going alone on something so explosive” and warned that prematurely pushing for impeachment could hurt candidates in the 2018 midterms. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi reportedly agreed with Capuano and urged colleagues to let the investigation unfold.
In one of his weekly updates last month, Capuano said the prospects of impeachment were currently unlikely in the Republican-controlled House, and that he wanted to wait until all the facts came out.
I want to proceed deliberately so the American people are comfortable that a thorough independent review has been done. If the facts support a case for impeachment, then the evidence will be there to make a case. We just don’t know that yet. I know this is frustrating and the investigation won’t move fast enough for any of us. We have to respect the process. There is a requirement to produce provable evidence. It shouldn’t be a witch hunt or a political statement. It should be about upholding the rule of law, our electoral process and protecting the freedoms we cherish as Americans.
Capuano’s office didn’t immediately respond for requests for comment Wednesday.
The Washington Post reported later Wednesday evening that Trump is being investigated by a federally appointed special counsel for potential obstruction of justice.
