Scott Powers
As U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo gains national notice as the first Republican congressman to discuss the possibilities of obstruction of justice and impeachment involving President Donald Trump, Democrats are trying to pressure the Kendall congressman to join their call for an independent investigation.
Curbelo, who is on the House Ways and Means Committee, told CNN Tuesday night that if Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to set aside an investigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn‘s associations with Russia, as reported, then that could construe obstruction of justice, and that could be an impeachment offense. Curbelo also called for Comey to testify before Congress, and to bring his memos and documents with him.
MotherJones.com reported Wednesday afternoon that Curbelo’s office called them to claim the distinction for him as the first Republican to discuss the prospects of impeachment over the Russian influence scandal that’s been alternately simmering and boiling in Washington for months.
Democrats responded to Curbelo’s new distinction by pushing for him to take the next step, if he wants a distinction as a Republican getting out front of the matter.
They urged him to sign a discharge petition introduced on the House of Representatives floor Wednesday to force action on House Resolution 356, a Democratic-backed bill to create a special, independent investigative commission to oversee the matter.
As of 4 p.m., one Republican, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina, had signed the discharge petition, along with 108 Democrats. All 11 Democratic members of Congress are co-sponsors of H.R. 356.
Curbelo’s office did not directly respond to an inquiry from FloridaPolitics.com about the independent commission, H.R. 356, or the discharge position, referring instead to an interview Curbelo gave to Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times Wednesday. In that interview, according to a tweet summary Leary posted on Twitter, Curbelo repeated many of the concerns he expressed Tuesday night, and said many of his Republican colleagues also are concerned. But he did not address the independent commission or the bill.
“If Carlos Curbelo is serious about calling for an investigation into President Trump’s ties to Russia, he should take action right now,” Cole Leiter, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee stated in a news release. “There’s one simple way to do that: Carlos Curbelo can sign onto the discharge petition that is currently on the House floor, and bring the bill creating an independent commission up for a vote as soon as possible.”
