Letters to the Editor: 15 federal judges have been impeached. Trump is much worse than any of them

To the editor: Fifteen federal judges have been impeached by Congress. What might their cases tell us about President Trump’s trial? (“Trump’s lawyers decry House impeachment case as ‘defective,’” Jan. 18)

Trump has been charged with abuse of power for holding up congressionally allocated aid to Ukraine for his personal political benefit and with obstructing the House’s investigation of his actions.

Out of the 15 judges impeached, three were charged with abuse of power. That makes nonsense of Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz’s argument that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense.

Two judges were impeached for bribery; both were removed by the Senate. Their actions were less heinous that Trump’s. They were not using government money in the bribe, nor were they trying to obtain an electoral advantage.

Worst of all, rather than having a trial based on the facts, which would result in Trump’s removal, Republicans are planning to vote to acquit, in effect saying, “Well he did it, but it’s not a crime so it’s not impeachable.” This explicitly sets the precedent that it is OK for a president (or any other federal office holder) to use government money and power to coerce a foreign government to interfere in an election.

It is like hanging a “for sale” sign on every U.S. elective office.

Brent Meeker, Camarillo

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To the editor: One of the House impeachment managers, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), recently said, “Our case is simple: The case is uncontested.” He added that the evidence against Trump is “overwhelming.”

If this is all true, that the case against Trump is so overwhelming, so absolute, so simple and so obvious, then why exactly are the Democrats insisting on additional evidence and witnesses? It seems to me it’s all about politics, as usual.

Geoffrey C. Church, Los Angeles

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To the editor: The most ridiculous defense offered by Trump’s legal team is that impeachment tries to overturn the “will of the people” in the 2016 election.

The electoral college already did that, rendering the votes of the nearly 2.9 million more Americans who voted for Hillary Clinton over Trump null and void.

Leslie Stem, Gardena

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To the editor: What has happened to the Republican Party? The marvelous GOP of Dwight D. Eisenhower, William Howard Taft and Barry Goldwater? The architects of the conservative American philosophy?

They impeached Bill Clinton for lying about an affair, but now they support Trump as he attempts of bully Ukraine into digging for dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden.

Yes, these are sad and disgraceful days for our once wonderful GOP.

Jacqueline Kerr, Los Feliz