Van Hollen Statement on Impeachment Vote

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the Senate vote on the articles of impeachment:

“It is the constitutional obligation of each senator to weigh the evidence before us and render a final verdict on the two articles. Today, in line with my constitutional duty, I voted to convict the President on both charges of impeachment and to remove him from office. On the charge of Abuse of Power, the House managers presented overwhelming evidence, as even Republican senators have conceded. President Trump used the power of the presidency to withhold vital taxpayer-funded military aid from Ukraine to extort its government into helping him in his re-election campaign.

“The House has also proved its case on the charge of Obstruction of Congress. President Trump has engaged in unprecedented stonewalling – a blanket cover-up that makes President Nixon look like an amateur. The President and his Republican senators have prevented even a single document from being produced and have blocked every single witness from testifying. This is unprecedented. It is the first impeachment trial in American history where the Senate has not heard from any witnesses or received relevant documents.

“And because the trial was a farce, the final result will be seen by most of the country as illegitimate – the product of a tainted trial. And President Trump must understand this – there is no exoneration, no vindication, no real acquittal from a fake trial. In failing to adhere to the principles of our Constitution and the values of our country, I fear the Senate has done serious damage to our democracy. I only hope America will find the resilience to repair the harm in the years ahead.”