REVIEW - US Senate Begins Trump Impeachment Trial

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2020) The US Senate formally initiated the impeachment trial for President Donald Trump which began with the House managers reading the charges to upper chamber and the swearing-in of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to preside over the process.

On Wednesday evening, House lawmakers marched to the Senate building and officially transmitted the articles of impeachment.

On December 19, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted along party lines to impeach Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for allegedly freezing military aid to press Ukraine to probe political rival Joe Biden.

According to the US constitution, the House has sole power to impeach, which is analogous to an indictment, while the 100-seat Senate, currently controlled by the Republicans, has sole power to try and remove a president.

Trump is the third President to face an impeachment trial. Neither of the previous two, Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1999 was forced from office. Another president, Richard Nixon, resigned in August 1974 before the House could vote on his impeachment and a trial was ever started in the Senate.

At the outset of Thursday's proceedings, Roberts was sworn-in to preside over the trial and administered the oath to the senators to serve as jurors.

US Congressman Adam Schiff, who is leading the group of seven House managers, read to the Senate the charges against Trump.

In addition to Schiff, the seven House impeachment managers serving as prosecutors include congressmen Jerrold Nadler, Hakeem Jeffries, Val Demings, Jason Crow, Zoe Lofgren and Sylvia Garcia.

Trump has called the impeachment process a "witch hunt" designed to overturn the results of the 2016 election.

The president will soon be officially notified about the pending trial and must respond and send his counsel by the end of the week.

A senior Trump administration official told reporters on Wednesday that they expect a "rapid acquittal" and doubt the trial will last more than two weeks.

On Tuesday, the Senate will establish the rules and procedures for the trial, including whether witnesses can be called to testify and documents be submitted as evidence.

The House prosecutors and White House lawyers must submit their motions and written legal briefs to the Senate before Tuesday.

At some point next week, the House managers and White House counsel will each have at least a day to present their arguments to the Senate.

After hearing arguments, senators will have a couple of days to submit written questions in writing to the prosecutors and defense.

The Senators will deliberate and then reconvene to decide whether Trump is guilty of the charges he is accused of.

The US Constitution requires a two-thirds majority - 67 votes - in the Senate to convict and remove from office an impeached president.

If Trump is found guilty, he is removed from office and Vice President Mike Pence would be sworn-in as US president.