Here's How Brentwood Lawmaker Voted On Impeaching Trump

BRENTWOOD, CA — Rep. Ted Lieu, the Democrat who represents the 33rd Congressional District in West Los Angeles County, cast his vote in Wednesday's House of Representatives vote to approve two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and charge him with abusing his office and obstructing Congress.

The nation's 45th president became just the third person in the office to be impeached. He now faces trial in the Senate and the unlikely possibility of being removed from office for "high crimes and misdemeanors."

Last week, a bitterly divided House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment accusing Trump of abusing the power of his office and obstructing Congress. However, given the Senate is controlled by Republicans, it's considered highly unlikely.

Impeachment is not a conviction, rather the rough equivalent of a grand jury issuing indictments. Senators act as judge and jury.

Rep. Ted Lieu voted in favor of impeachment, saying "no one in America could do what Donald Trump did and get away with it."

"No American elected official could call up a foreign government and ask for an investigation into a political opponent, no member of congress can call up a foreign official and ask for help in our reelection campaign. If we did that, we'd likely get indicted. No one is above the law, and the Constitution is the law of the land," Lieu said. "Whether Donald Trump leaves in one month, one year or five years, this impeachment is permanent, it will follow him around for the rest of his life and history books will record it. … It’s all very simple: No one is above the law."

Patch staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this post