House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced her team of seven impeachment managers Wednesday, tasking them with prosecuting President Trump in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
The diverse group of Democrats brings an array of legal experience to the trial, she said.
“The emphasis is on comfort level in the court room,” said Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat. “The emphasis is on making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our Constitution to seek truth for the American people.”
The group of managers send a message of racial, gender and geographical diversity. The group features three members of color, three women and three lawmakers from states outside of New York and California: Texas, Florida and Colorado.
Last month, the House voted in a party-line vote to impeach Mr. Trump on two counts — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — stemming from allegations that he leveraged presidential powers to pressure Ukraine to open investigations into former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Ukraine meddling in the 2016 election.
Here is a look at the seven impeachment managers:
Adam B. Schiff, California, House Intelligence chairman
Mr. Schiff, 59, quickly became the public face of impeachment when the investigation began in early October, despite the judiciary committee’s traditional role leading on impeachment. He spearheaded the public phase of the House investigation with a whirlwind set of hearings that brought forward 12 witnesses in just over a week. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School.
He will serve as the lead manager on the prosecutor team, but he also will be a potential target of Trump-aligned senators. The president has made it clear that he would like to see Mr. Schiff, who came under fire during the investigation for early contact between his staff and the whistleblower at the root of the allegations, testify as a witness in the trial.
“Trump’s abuse of power is a clear and present danger to our democracy and national security interests,” Mr. Schiff said in a statement.
Jerrold Nadler, New York, House Judiciary chairman
Mr. Nadler, 72, likely will bring the heavy legal arguments for the Democrats’ case. As judiciary chairman, his committee took the lead on crafting the party’s legal justifications for moving ahead with impeachment and the two charges brought against the president.
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The New York Democrat, who received his law degree from Fordham University, is one of two lawmakers on the impeachment team who was in Congress during the Clinton impeachment proceedings.
Jason Crow, Colorado, House Armed Services Committee
An unexpected pick, Mr. Crow, 40, is one of the two freshman members tapped to be an impeachment manager.
He received his law degree from the University of Denver and is the only manager to not serve on either the intelligence or judiciary committee.
However, Mr. Crow played a significant role in moving the process forward as one of seven moderate Democrats with national security backgrounds who endorsed an impeachment inquiry into the Ukraine allegations.
Mr. Crow’s Colorado district makes him the only Democrat on the team who took over a Republican-held seat in 2018, though his district is one of the less competitive races.
“Politics has never been a consideration during this process for me. I completely divorced politics from my constitutional obligation,” he told reporters Wednesday morning. “The people of Colorado want to make sure that we are ensuring our checks and balances, and holding the administration accountable.”
Hakeem Jeffries, New York, House Judiciary Committee
Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, 49, is one of the caucus’ strongest members when it comes to messaging. A staunch critic of Mr. Trump, Mr. Jeffries also managed to keep the party together on legislative issues while it divided itself over impeachment before the Ukraine allegations surfaced. He received his law degree from New York University.
Zoe Lofgren, California, House Judiciary Committee
The chairwoman of the House Administration Committee is one of the Democrats’ top impeachment veterans. She was a staffer on the Judiciary Committee during the Nixon impeachment and served in Congress during the Clinton proceedings. Ms. Lofgren, 72, received her law degree from Santa Clara University.
Sylvia Garcia, Texas, House Judiciary Committee
Another freshman, Ms. Garcia, 69, told reporters it was a “pleasant surprise” to be included on the list of impeachment managers. She received her law degree from Texas Southern University and brings a unique legal perspective to the team as a former municipal judge in Texas.
Val Demings, Florida, House Judiciary, Intelligence committees
Ms. Demings, 62, is one of three lawmakers and the sole impeachment manager to serve on both the intelligence and judiciary committees. Her dual role positions her to have a stance in both the fact and legal sides of the Democrats’ strategy. She earned her degree in criminology from Florida State University. Ms. Demings is a former chief of Orlando Police.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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