Meet the impeachment managers who will argue Democrats' case against Trump
Nine members of Congress, appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will soon walk through the Capitol and deliver the article of impeachment against former President Trump to the Senate. These members, known as the impeachment managers, will prosecute the case against the former president in the Senate.
Pelosi said the House will officially send the article of impeachment against Mr. Trump to the Senate on Monday. "We are respectful of the Senate's constitutional power over the trial and always attentive to the fairness of the process, noting that the former president will have had the same amount of time to prepare for trial as our managers, Pelosi said in a statement on Saturday. "Our managers are ready to begin to make their case to 100 Senate jurors through the trial process."
The House voted on January 13 to impeach Mr. Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection, just one week after a mob of the president's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attack that left five people dead.
The group of Democrats, who all have expertise in law, will be led by Congressman Jamie Raskin, who is a lawyer from Maryland. Raskin will read the single article of impeachment against Mr. Trump to the Senate floor on Monday night.
"Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States," the article of impeachment states.
None of the impeachment managers for this trial argued the case in Mr. Trump's first impeachment trial, when the Senate acquitted the former president for obstruction of justice and abuse of power. For this year's trial, Pelosi has selected a diverse group of House members, including Congressman Joe Neguse, who will be the youngest impeachment manager in U.S. history.
The makeup of the managers are different from previous Senate trials. In 1999, during former President Bill Clinton's impeachment, there were 13 impeachment managers, all of whom were male and white. During Mr.Trump's 2020 impeachment trial, Pelosi appointed only seven members led by Congressmen Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and Jerry Nadler, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
The upcoming trial, which comes about a year after Mr. Trump's first impeachment trial is slated to begin the week of February 8. Democrats will need all 50 of their senators and 17 Republican senators to cross the aisle to convict Mr. Trump.
The impeachment managers will testify that Mr. Trump incited the riot on January 6 to block the certification of the Electoral College results.
Jamie Raskin, Lead Manager
Raskin, a key member of the House Judiciary Committee and Rules Committee, drafted the Article of Impeachment for "incitement of insurrection" along with two other managers while sheltering in place during the riot on January 6. Recently, the Maryland Democrat put forth a bill on the House floor urging the former Vice President Mike Pence to activate the 25th amendment. Raskin, whose 25-year-old son died at the end of 2020, said he decided to take a leadership role in this impeachment trial because "I'm not going to lose my son at the end of 2020 and my country and my republic in 2021." Prior to his time in Congress, Raskin served as a Maryland state senator and a professor of constitutional law at American University Washington College of Law.
Diana DeGette
Congresswoman Diana DeGette has been a member of Congress representing Colorado for 13 years. This will be her second time involved in an impeachment, since she presided over Mr. Trump's first impeachment debate in the House. In an interview with CBS Denver, DeGette said "we need to bring this to closure, we need to convict him and make sure he can never run for office again." Before serving in Congress, DeGette was a civil rights attorney and served two terms in the Colorado House.
David Cicilline
Congressman David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat, is adjusting his focus from taking on big tech to taking on Mr. Trump as an impeachment manager. He was one of three impeachment managers who drafted the article of impeachment while a mob stormed the Capitol. "The President is a clear and present danger to our republic. We will hold him accountable," Cicilline said in a statement. He is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and serves as chair of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law. Before serving in Congress, Cicilline was a public defender in the District of Columbia and held several Rhode Island state government positions.
Joaquin Castro
Congressman Joaquin Castro, the Texas Democrat who has been one of the most vocal critics of Mr. Trump, will help prosecute the case against the former president during the Senate trial. Castro said during the recent House impeachment debate, "Donald Trump is the most dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office." He asked Republicans, "What do you think they [rioters] would have done if they had gotten in? What do you think they would have done to you? Who do you think sent them here?" Castro sits on the House Intelligence Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee. He led the Hispanic Caucus during the last Congress and opposed Mr. Trump's immigration policies. Before his time in Congress, he served in the Texas Legislature and as a lawyer in private practice. Castro is a graduate from Harvard Law School.
Eric Swalwell
Congressman Eric Swalwell, another strong critic of Mr. Trump during his presidency, will use his prosecutor background to present the case against the former president to the Senate. He was heavily involved in the first impeachment trial since he sits on the House Intelligence Committee. "I vow to work collaboratively with the impeachment managers team to make a case to the Senate for conviction and removal," Swalwell said in a statement.
Ted Lieu
Congressman Ted Lieu, a California Democrat who was elected in 2014, led the effort to draft and sponsor the article of impeachment with Raskin and Cicilline. "The best way to heal and unify our nation is to hold accountable those who attacked the capitol and those who incited that attack. That begins at the very top starting with Donald Trump," Lieu told CBS News' Nancy Cordes last week. He serves on the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committee. Prior to his time in Congress, Lieu joined the Air Force part of the Judge Advocate General's Corps and is still a member of the Air Force Reserve. He also held several California state government roles during his career.
Stacey Plaskett
Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett will bring her legal background and experience to her role as an impeachment manager in the upcoming trial. She represents the U.S. Virgin Islands, which means she did not have the ability to cast a vote for impeachment. Now, she will have her chance to argue the case against the former president to the Senate. In a statement about her role as impeachment manager, Plaskett said, "Donald J. Trump has been and continues to be a clear and present danger to our republic, to our constitution, and to the people of this nation. I will do my duty and defend our blessed country." She serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and previously was an attorney in the Bronx and counsel at the Department of Justice.
Madeleine Dean
Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, is a member of the Judiciary Committee and will bring her extensive law and ethics background to her role as an impeachment manager. "Removing Donald Trump is the beginning of restoring decency and democracy," Dean said during the House impeachment debate. Dean was first elected in 2018 when Democrats won back the House majority.
Joe Neguse
Congressman Joe Neguse, 36, is a rising star in the Democratic caucus and serves on the House Judiciary Committee. Previously, he served as a litigator in private law practice. Neguse is the first African-American to represent Colorado and will bring his law background to his role as impeachment manager. "We have a solemn task to perform. And we will rise to the occasion," Neguse said about his new role as an impeachment manager.
