[inaudible conversations] good afternoon. Ion the cofounder and president of free speech for people is a National NonprofitNonpartisan Organization washed on the day of this is essential united ruling seven years ago. Dedicated you defending the constitution to reclaim our democracy. So the campaign to woo in peach donald trump now. Org. More than one by 3 million americans across the country have joined the campaign and is backed by a Legal Advisor report of constitutional scholars across the country so free speech is proud to discuss the legal case for investigation of president donald j. Trump into a were releasing a white paper prepared by free speech for people that details the case and they will discuss the legal grounds and in the order they would be speaking following the opening remarks and we will talk about the white paper for the impeach investigation for the members of congress that will receive this document to data for speaker is a constitutional law professor at George WashingtonUniversity Law school. Her book how it ever its First Amendment rights which means by a concurring opinions winning the critics choice book award from the American Association studies association and the elected fellow a former chair of the Steering Committee of law and humanitarianism of the law schools. Prior to entering legal academia she won major impact litigation on behalf of the citys homeless population. Professor of what ross is a graduate holding a ph. D. In American History from yale. Professor ross will discuss the history and impeachment and a meeting of high crimes and misdemeanors following professor ross we will hear from the legal director of free speech for people where he oversees the organization previously served as assistant regional counsel in the United States epa new England Office where he received the National Gold medal for Exceptional Service a notable Achievement Award and several others previously served for the United States court of appeals in the of the District Court of massachusetts and a graduate of stanford. He will discuss the following legal grounds for impeachment investigation and directing Law Enforcement to have a political target of using the pardon power undermining freedom of the press to threaten nuclear war. Next we will hear from the professor at Vermont Law School that researchers and rights and Corporate GovernanceFinancial Market reforms securities regulation and whitecollar crime testified in expert before the Banking Committee and House Financial Services subcommittee concerning banking and financial for related matters for the first book other peoples houses made home mortgages a thrilling business published may 2014 by Yale University press and is also the coauthor of corporate and whitecollar crime cases published and 2017. And in addition to the book the other peoples houses professor has written extensively on the financial crisis and prior to joining academia the associate general counsel is a graduate of harvard law school. Addressing corruption to discuss the ongoing violation of the foreign and domestic clauses of the u. S. Constitution. We will then hear from the chair of the border free speech for people and a legal committee. A former federal prosecutor and chief Legal Counsel is a Founding Partner of the of Boston Law Firm representing persons of whitecollar criminal proceedings state and federal enforcement proceedings with litigation and appeals to provided vice with political campaigns in government ethics and other related areas. With Business Executives and officials fortune 500 companies and Small Businesses and Nonprofit Institutions with state and federal governments previously served as the chair of the massachusetts Governors Task force on Public Integrity a Bipartisan Committee with landmark legislation overhauling the ethics in Campaign Finance law and is a graduate of cornell. Discussing the of following grounds for obstruction of justice and conspiracy with a Foreign Government to make crimes against United States including the violation of Campaign Finance laws also addressing the impeachment hearings should begin now. The final speaker is a progressive activists philanthropist an environmentalist with the moral responsibility to ensure that all americans have equal access to Economic Opportunity and a healthy environment. The president and founder of connection america from the rights of every american earlier this year starting the need of the impeached campaign garnering more than 3 million on a petition calling for his impeachment the effort is backed by 20 million adds including two Television Advertisements in times square billboards running through new years eve he will discuss the campaign why americans across the country are calling for impeachment proceedings to move forward now the for speaker. Thanks for coming today. Impeachment is an extraordinary remedy which italys pinafores of last resort but as the events unfold is imperative that citizens understand the beecher process and a significant role the founders expected it to perform within the structure of constitutional democracy. I will provide an overview of impeachment in what has been used to justify it so first with his impeachment . The term is often misunderstood and misused impeachment occurs when the house votes to adopt articles of impeachment a resolution spelling out allegations of wrongdoing by a public official. Before that the house directed one of the committees to investigate the allegations that if the Committee Recommends the full house consider articles of impeachment, only a simple majority is needed to adopted the articles at which point the official has been impeached. After the house impeaches the present the case to the full senate which sits in trial when a president has been impeached the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial and at the conclusion the senators vote the senate requires a twothirds vote to convict and if they convict removals from office is automatic and immediate. What purpose is impeachment designed visa to serve . With traditions of the British Parliament both of which regarded impeachment that the legislature can use to rein in the executive to overreaches than during the debates at the Constitutional Convention madison argued it was indispensable that some provisions should be made against the incapacity in negligence or through the chief magistrate so a the classic interpretation elaborated that in england the maxim is that the king can do no wrong and in sharp contrast the provision of our constitution is a check upon arbitrary power to compel the chief magistrate as well as the most humble citizen to bend to the majesty of the law in other words, we are a nation ruled by a lot so impeachment offer the important reassurance to those who drafted the constitution and to overthrow the british king would not throw their hands in another desperate madison explained those two provisions and in particular protecting against despotism purse that the president s term is limited to a number of years. And was as an impeachable any time during the office and a whole. Some say it never should have been adopted if not included provisions for impeachment. But it is not intended to punish but to prevent further harm to the country so why arent the of grounds . Director constitution states it is treason or robbery for further high crimes and misdemeanors treason and bribery have clear meaning but what are the high crimes and misdemeanors those terms commonly misunderstood what they understood is that a high crimes is committed against the state by Public Officials high crimes and misdemeanors for example, could threaten the Constitutional Order where they may involve corruption that violates the publics trust. Impeachment does not need to be based on criminal acts. Congress explained but do be a serious violation of the public trust not necessarily offenses under lost that less than onethird of those impeachments to date specifically involved a criminal statute used the word crime. So it extends and he said maybe political as he laid it to the society itself and is generally agreed he did not mean political in the sense of today but impeachment is not based on anything that congress decides as board willingly hand wrongly suggested spirit the Supreme Court justice and then summarized as those committed by public men in violation of their public trust and beauty. Breaching those crimes of the distant of duties with Political Office and personal misconduct or gross neglect or habitual disregard for Public Interest we must view them through very broad and comprehensive principles of Public Policy and a duty. That brings us to more contemporary reading stand in 2015 the Nonpartisan Congressional Research Service so to historically use the impeachment power to reach a broad variety of conduct that is both a serious and incompatible with the duties of office. Generally but not always falling into three groups, abuse of power, the behavior compatible with the function and purpose and misusing the office for personal gain. So the grounds for impeachment but the Research Service society is unlikely to be barred by any criminal statute only in peach rand proceedings have the power to constrain such bad behavior for those who have not violated criminal law but those the damage the state and in concluding every member in a sworn oath and we informed the republic should hold our representatives to do that of earth and was designed as a safety valve. It is expressly designed to be in there when or the rule of law is very the next speaker would be the legal director for free speech for people. I will begin with the five credit categories of the abuse of power that is causing to grounds for the impeachment investigation into 90 offenses are ordinary crimes and these are not ordinary crimes but with the use of power these five categories to educating illegal violence to undermining equal protection and shoot, abusing the power, number three to pursue political tolerance undermining freedom ended its proud of our democracy have led government when he carried a incursion into not crap out of the protesters. That this regard has continued to run his presidency and for example, they complain to the president that federal law is making it harder to mine coal in his response was justin do it after you get it out will they make you put it back . Bid in july he told police to be rough with arrested people which Police Chiefs understood that means using Excessive Force and in august he appeared to suggest they should have for crimes that was just two days after he but they didnt do that in november with a reap treated they can to more to pay the legal fees but his with criminal content of court to stop but they were offering the he was just doing his job and pardoned him so that speculation that they could follow the advice and then when they lose they can violate a federal court order to stop doing that it undercuts due process of law. And his Constitutional Rights and those ravers are worried . And the federalist papers hamilton warned of those to overturn the republics the greatest number have begun their career announcing demagogues. In the Virginia Convention to debate whether to radicalize the proposed constitution george mason warned that the president and those that were devised by himself but James Madison and those that was is connected in any suspicious manner to call this for the abuse a Great Security that is not all and in 1925 the chief justice of the Supreme Court former president said the president views the pardon power but his lack of us it respect extend to directing Law Enforcement to pursue political targets he campaigned on a platform of what corrupt it is not Campaign Rhetoric that since the inauguration to be pressured with the department of justice to investigate and prosecute adversaries and in 1940 jackson who is the attorney general serving as a Supreme CourtJustice Warren to the greatest danger of abuse was to pick the man or woman and the chief executive using lawenforcement is characteristic of authoritarian regime not a Constitutional Republic that is why they have respected the independence of Law Enforcement the exception was nixon the second article specifically cited use of federal investigative agencies against political opponents. Another rate dangerous use of power which is freedom of the press is to enshrine the First Amendment. Only a free and unrestrained press and previous president s and with the essential role in the democracy won World Press Freedom day then president george w. Bush noted the United States values freedom of the press as the fundamental Political Rights and necessary component of free societies those that access the information and then but not to condemn and the stark contrast he spent his entire presidency as the enemy of the American People suggested revoking the licenses of Television Networks the Administration Takes retaliatory measures particularly the news medias objected to coverage and furthermore the rhetoric with the various media that President Trump with the lives and safety of american journalists. The ideal subject for whom the subject of fact and fiction no longer exist. His efforts below the president s threats of threatening an attack obviously with north korea is complicated and difficult with no easy answers but the commander in chief of the armed forces to set the Foreign Policy and is entitled to conduct diplomacy by unconventional means if he chooses but like all powers this can be abused. The country is not in the hands of a wellinformed president who considers detailed information with full information and decision capacity to take a calculated risk. Military court upheld the courtmartial conviction for Reckless Endangerment because he failed the proper with a potential for millions o her wad and disregard for the risks are far greater. If as it appears the president is making the threats with reckless or wont disregard for risks of millions of deaths that is abuse of power. Advocating illegal violence aimed at undermining the protection of the wall o law ofg the pardon power directing Law Enforcement to pursue political targets undermining freedom of the press and recklessly threatening nuclear war are not defined in the federal statute as criminal offenses and not part of the special counsel investigation but they are high crimes and misdemeanors because they undermine the rule of law, subvert the constitutional democracy and put us all in grave danger of the type founders would have recognized. There is still time to recover from the damage President Trump has already done a but the windw may be closing good afternoon. Im a professor from Vermont Law School and i teach business courses including whitecollar crime. My work often focuses on the importance of full and fair disclosure and efforts to combat fraud and corruption. The frame anthe frame is give ys phrase follow the money is my mantra. I offer my remarks solely on my own behalf as an academic and on behalf of my law school or any other association. Today i will discuss why Congress Needs to investigate whether the president has been violating the constitution emoluments banned since the moment he took office but before i do that, i want to address an