title:  The Law Says Donald Trump Can Already Be Impeached And That Might Be The Plan
text: The moment Donald Trump is sworn in as president, Congress could begin impeachment proceedings and they could win. It could easily happen, and as much as we can t stand Trump, that would be horrible.Before you shake your head and dismiss this as just another conspiracy theory, here are some facts from a Utah law professor, Christopher Lewis Peterson, who wrote a 22 page article telling us how and why Congress can and should impeach Trump. Clearly, we won t reprint all of the 22 pages, but here s the abstract, which by itself is pretty compelling:In the final weeks of the 2016 Presidential campaign Donald J. Trump faces three lawsuits accusing him of fraud and racketeering. These ongoing cases focus on a series of wealth seminars called  Trump University  which collected over $40 million from consumers seeking to learn Trump s real estate investing strategies. Although these consumer protection cases are civil proceedings, the underlying legal elements in several counts that plaintiffs seek to prove run parallel to the legal elements of serious crimes under both state and federal law. This essay provides a legal analysis of whether Trump s alleged behavior would, if proven, rise to the level of impeachable offenses under the presidential impeachment clause of the United States Constitution. This essay begins with a summary of the evidence assembled in the three pending Trump University civil lawsuits. Next, it describes the legal claims involved in each matter. Then, this essay summarizes the applicable law of presidential impeachment under the United States Constitution and analyzes whether Trump s actions in connection with Trump University are impeachable offenses. Finally, I offer concluding thoughts, considering in particular the policy implications of a major presidential campaign with simultaneously pending legal complaints of fraud and racketeering.Now, why would a Republican Congress impeach a Republican President? Well, as you recall, the vast majority of the GOP wing of Congress only reluctantly supported Trump.Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, was perhaps the most vocal reluctant supporter, saying that he was  sickened  by Trump s rhetoric, but would support him anyway.Most thought Ryan was sticking with Trump as a matter of political expediency. After all, they share the exact same voter base, but perhaps Ryan, who s not stupid, had something up his sleeve. Trump s VP pick, Mike Pence, is tailor made to help elevate Paul Ryan s agenda. He s  ber conservative and  ber Christian. While Trump is a wildcard, Pence is someone who Ryan can Trust. Pence won t squawk while Ryan strips senior citizens of Social Security or the poor of food. Trump might not squawk, but he s not predictable, either.While both Ryan and Pence (and most Republicans in Congress) are social conservatives who want to set back rights for LGBT people and women, again, Trump is a wildcard. Trump used to be pro-choice and despite the fact that his campaign was built on hate, he said very little about LGBT people. It s highly doubtful that Trump will defend the rights of gay people or abortion rights, but that s not a chance Ryan or Republicans in Congress want to take.The Trump University lawsuit is set to start at the end of the month. It s a civil suit, but it will highlight that voters elected a con man. It will certainly be enough to make the most anti-Trump members of Congress talk and it could give us a President Pence. Yes, that s frightening.Featured image via Mark Wilson/Getty Images. 