Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead House impeachment manager, on Wednesday said that Trump lawyer Alan Dershowitz’s argument in defense of the president essentially boils down to the idea that “a president can abuse his power with impunity.”
“Now, that argument made by Professor Dershowitz is at odds with the attorney general’s own expressed opinion on the subject, with Ken Starr’s expressed opinion on the subject,” Mr. Schiff said at President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial.
“Even 60-year-old Alan Dershowitz doesn’t agree with 81-year-old Alan Dershowitz - and for a reason,” Mr. Schiff said. “Because where that conclusion leads us is that a president can abuse his power in any kind of way and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Mr. Dershowitz has advanced the argument in recent days that there needs to be an actual crime to legitimately impeach a president. He says abuse of power and obstruction of Congress - the charges Mr. Trump is facing - are constitutionally vague.
Around the time of President Clinton’s impeachment, Mr. Dershowitz had argued the opposite and that there didn’t need to be an underlying crime. But he said he’s done extensive research since then to come to his current conclusion.
Mr. Schiff was speaking as senators got their first crack to question both the impeachment managers and Mr. Trump’s defense team at the proceedings on Wednesday.
Mr. Trump stands accused of abuse of power for withholding military aid to Ukraine unless the country’s leaders agreed to announce investigations, including into former Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
The president has also been accused of obstruction of Congress for failing to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry. Mr. Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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