GOP's star impeachment witness blasts right-wingers for trying to force through a 'political hitjob'

In an op-ed published Friday legal expert Jonathan Turley addressed his testimony as the GOP's star witness in the first hearing of the House impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden on Thursday saying that, as expected, his testimony angered people both on the left and on the right.

"Today, caution is considered cowardice and impartiality is viewed as chicanery," Turley wrote in the op-ed published at The Messenger. "Yet our Constitution demands more of each of us at these moments. We can rise to that challenge, as the Framers hoped we would, or we can continue our national descent into rage and ruin."

"It is the difference between laying the groundwork for a real impeachment or for just another political hit-job," he added.

Turley testified, that in his opinion, there is sufficient evidence to warrant an impeachment inquiry – but not yet for actual impeachment. But as he points out in his op-ed, that was not enough for some Trump loyalists, namely Steve Bannon, who slammed Republicans for not calling someone to testify that the evidence is strong enough for actual articles of impeachment.

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But according to Turley, if he fulfilled Bannon's wishes, it would be like, "calling a special grand jury and demanding an indictment before any witnesses or evidence are presented."

Turley writes that Republicans "rightly criticized" the last two impeachments of former President Donald Trump, and praised them taking a more "principled approach" to President Biden. "They have spent months developing a record on what is now a clear influence-peddling scheme operated by Hunter Biden, James Biden, and their associates," Turley wrote.

"Even some past critics now recognize that this was a corrupt influence-peddling operation, but most insist that Hunter was simply selling the 'illusion' of influence."

But as far as declaring Biden "guilty," Turley says we don't know enough yet.

"This is a constitutional process, not just some trash-talking cable show (although, admittedly, it was hard to tell at moments in the hearing)."

Read the full op-ed over at The Messenger.