Climate change activist and Democrat megadonor Tom Steyer referenced President Bill Clinton as he joined liberals calling for impeachment of President Donald Trump last weekend.
Steyer alleged in an interview with the Sacramento Bee that Republicans have issued a “double standard” for Trump. “They drew a line in the sand – and they are way over it,” he said in reference to the 1998 impeachment of Clinton by the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on articles of perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton ultimately escaped impeachment in the U.S. Senate to hold on to his position as President of the United States.
Last week, now former FBI Director James Comey testified on Capitol Hill. The day before the hearing he released a written statement that was submitted for the hearing. In the statement Comey alleged that in a private February 14 meeting with Trump, the President referenced the FBI investigation into now former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn when the President said to Comey, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” According to Comey’s statement, he replied that Flynn “is a good guy.” Comey testified that he interpreted this as a push from Trump to drop the investigation into Flynn.
Flynn was fired after he lied to Vice President Mike Pence about discussions with Russian ambassador to the U.S. The firing came the day before the February 14 meeting between Trump and Comey according to Reuters.
Comey also testified that Obama-era Attorney General Loretta Lynch asked him to call the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information. He also testified that he leaked a memo through a friend and to the media that according to him documented meetings with Trump; however, that memo has not been produced to Congress or the public.
Trump has denied asking Comey to drop the investigation into Flynn. The President went even further to say that he would be “100%” willing to testify to that under oath.
Steyer told the Bee that he decided after Comey’s testimony, to join in calling for impeachment of Trump. He has also pointed to Trump’s statements in relation to his firing Comey as reasoning behind his backing for impeachment proceedings.
The leftist impeachment furor over Trump from groups like MoveOn.org and Trump-resistance group Indivisible comes despite Comey’s testimony confirmed that he told President Trump multiple times that he was not under FBI investigation. Democrat Reps. Brad Sherman and Al Green have gone so far as to start drafting articles of impeachment according to Politico.
Steyer is one of the largest U.S. political contributors according to the Bee. It numbered his 2016 contributions to Democrats through NextGen PAC at $90 million, up from $74 million in 2014.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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