City Councillors to Vote on Investigating Trump’s Impeachment

The Cambridge City Council will vote on a resolution Monday calling upon Congress to consider impeaching President Donald Trump, alleging that his business holdings violate the U.S. Constitution.

The proposed resolution calls upon the House Judiciary Committee to investigate whether or not sufficient grounds exist for Trump’s impeachment, arguing that the president’s involvement in the Trump Organization violates the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. It states that Trump’s business entanglements “undermine the integrity of the Presidency, corruptly advance the personal wealth of the President, and violate the public trust.”

Cambridge City Hall. By Jessica C. Salley

Passage of the resolution would make Cambridge one of a handful of cities nationwide, including Richmond, Va., and Berkeley, Calif., that is asking the federal government to look into impeaching Trump.

The resolution was cosponsored by Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern, Councillor Leland Cheung and Councillor Jan Devereux, and put together with the help of local activist group Cambridge Area Stronger Together.

Devereux said her reasons for supporting the resolution are straightforward.

“It’s a matter of safeguarding the Constitution,” she said. “[Trump] has not fully divested from his business operations. It’s really entirely unclear how these entanglements may be affecting his decision-making as president.”

The resolution’s argument is not new: In January, Harvard Law School professor Laurence H. Tribe joined a legal team suing Trump and arguing that Trump’s business interests violate the Emoluments Clause.

Councillor Nadeem A. Mazen said he also agreed with the resolution and supports calls for the Council to ask for impeachment.

“Donald Trump has flown in the face of the Constitution,” Mazen said. “Betting odds recently had impeachment at, what, 56 percent,” he said, referring to odds made by British betting house Ladbrokes that have since been taken down.

Mazen said that beyond Trump’s violation of the Emoluments Clause, he wants Trump’ to be impeached for his executive orders limiting travel and immigration from a number of majority-Muslim countries. He also said he believes an anti-Trump movement is happening on a national level, and that it could have an impact in future elections.

“There’s an enormous opportunity for the electorate to press their leaders.” he said. “I think a lot of organizers on the right are going to have to stake a claim of inclusion. We can move beyond polls to actually reach hearts and minds.”

Looking forward to the meeting, Devereux was enthusiastic about support for the resolution, both within in the City Council and beyond.

“I would be surprised if it didn’t pass unanimously,” she said. “Cambridge is a very progressive place and I think this is what the people of Cambridge want.”

The resolution will be heard Monday night at the weekly Council meeting in Cambridge City Hall at 5:30 p.m.