By David Welch, Hamilton
Ed Sperry’s most recent LTE is riddled with false and misleading assertions regarding the current impeachment inquiry.
Perhaps the most blatantly false assertion is that Democrats are holding “secret hearings” excluding Republicans from participation in the process. The hearings he so grossly mischaracterizes are known as “closed hearings.” They are routine and have been conducted by Congress as far back as 1789. More recently, closed hearings were a hallmark of the plethora of Benghazi investigations conducted by Republicans.
In a closed hearing lawmakers of both political parties are able to attend and participate in questioning witnesses. Republican committee members have all the access and privileges as those afforded to the Democrats. The content of witness testimony is secret. The hearings themselves are not.
Members of Congress know all of this yet they continue to tell lies about the process, confusing and frightening people like Ed. Why? Because they hope that harping on the impeachment inquiry process will distract voters from the substance of the inquiry: the indefensible misconduct of Trump.