Former Bush Ethics Chief Says 'It's Time' for Trump Impeachment Inquiry
*By Rebecca Heilweil*
Following Robert Mueller's [back-to-back testimonies](https://cheddar.com/media/former-special-counsel-mueller-confirms-president-trump-not-exculpated-in-russia-investigation) on Capitol Hill Wednesday, all eyes have turned to the leadership of the House of Representatives, and the question of whether Democrats will move to begin an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
Those efforts have the support of a slew of progessive politicians, including presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and Rep. Ilhan Omar. Another supporter of impeachment proceedings: former Bush White House's ethics lawyer Richard Painter.
"It's time now to open a formal impeachment inquiry and demand evidence, not just on what's in the Mueller report, but \[on\] President Trump's other violations of the law and the Constitution \[including\] his receipt of emoluments of foreign governments, including the Saudi Arabian government," he told Cheddar.
Those looking for a smoking gun from Mueller's testimonies yesterday were left disappointed, as the former special counselor mostly deferred to his report that had been made public in April. He also avoided discussions of impeachment proceedings throughout the two hearings.
"If the Democrats expected him to come in and say something dramatic, or to come there and act like a movie star, that was foolish. We all knew Robert Mueller was going to be a professional prosecutor," Painter said.
But Painter had tough words for both parties.
He warned that aggressive questioning from Republicans could deter others from entering public service. "It certainly doesn't help to see Robert Mueller treated the way he was yesterday," said Painter.
On the other hand, he said, "The Democrats expect him to carry their water because they're too timid to impeach Donald Trump, or to even open an impeachment inquiry."
"The Russians interfered in an American election, and we need to deal with this now," Painter said. "We also need to pass legislation that will prevent future election meddling."
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has maintained that she will not support impeachment, despite pressure from some of her own colleagues.
Politico [reported](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/24/pelosi-nadler-rebuff-impeachment-mueller-hearing-1432925) that she told Rep. Jerry Nadler yesterday that drawing articles of impeachment was still premature.
Vice President Kamala Harris received impressive amount of media coverage in January for making history. However, the media attention waned significantly and some are now even saying she has almost disappeared from public view. Reecie Colbert, founder of BlackWomenViews Media, joined Cheddar Politics to discuss more.
If you thought you heard the last of the Mueller report back in 2019, you'd be wrong. While the bombshell report was the biggest story in Washington for years, much of the report remained redacted. Our friends at BuzzFeed News weren't satisfied, so they sued to have certain passages unredacted. They notched another win when a federal appeals court ordered ten passages from the report to be released.
Matt Topic, BuzzFeed's attorney in the case, and Jason Leopold, reporter at BuzzFeed News, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The U.S. reported its first confirmed case of the omicron variant in California on Wednesday. Scientists and health officials are racing to understand the variant, with the WHO saying it's still too early to determine whether it's more contagious, more deadly or more resistant to vaccines than other variants. Omicron has pushed members of the WHO to commit to start talks over a "gobal pandemic treaty" for future pandemic preparedness.
Priti Krishtel, co-founder and co-executive director of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
Wednesday was not a good day for those who believe in abortion rights in this country as the Supreme Court heard arguments on a Mississippi abortion law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The majority of the court appears poised to roll back abortion rights, and the questions from the conservative justices seemed to indicate the law for nearly 50 years is likely to change.
Jessica Mason Pieklo, senior vice president and executive editor of Rewire News Group, joined Cheddar Politics to discuss Wednesday's hearing.
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, has been busy since completing his prison sentence in November. He's getting into the NFT space, selling his federal prison badge and the original manuscript of his book "Disloyal" as NFTs. Cohen joined Cheddar to discuss his latest venture and why he thinks there is still much to be revealed about his case.
Jonathan Adler, Law Professor at Case Western Reserve University, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss Tuesday's ruling and provide legal context to recent battles over vaccine mandates.
Carlo and Baker wrap up the week talking about the Biden economic boom that no one seems to notice, a verdict in the Jussie Smollett case, the first Starbucks union in America and the pleasures of the "dude nod."
A new bill in Congress shows just how bipartisan cannabis really is. Rep. David Joyce, a Republican from Ohio, teamed up with progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on a cannabis expungement bill. Cheddar cannabis reporter Chloe Aiello spoke with the congressman about the legislation.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus have lined up to support the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act introduced by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif. 41st District). The representative joined Cheddar to discuss how instituting a four-day workweek in the United States can be beneficial for both employees with the need of a work-life balance and employers looking both to retain talent amid a labor shortage and improve efficiency in their workforces. "We live in a different time than 90 years ago when we established a 40-hour workweek," he said. "We've had a lot of technological changes, the American worker is exponentially more productive than previous generations, so it's time to reexamine Americans and the way in which they relate to work."
