Strongsville Rep. Anthony Gonzalez Votes Against Impeachment

STRONGSVILLE, OH — Representative Anthony Gonzalez voted against impeaching President Donald Trump on Wednesday night. In a letter to his constituents he said he didn't feel there was enough evidence to warrant impeachment.

Despite Gonzalez's vote, the U.S. House still voted to impeach Trump on charges of abusing his office by attempting an arms-for-dirt scheme against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and obstructing of Congress for trying to cover up his actions.

The impeachment vote was predictably partisan. All House Republicans, including Gonzalez, voted against the impeachment. All but two House Democrats voted for the impeachment. The tallies were 230-197 on abuse and 229-198 on obstruction.

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

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In his letter to constituents, Gonzalez, who calls Strongsville home, said, "Hearsay and speculation are never enough to support the mighty weight of a presidential impeachment. The impeachment of President Trump is unique in American history because it represents the first impeachment in our nation’s history where not a single piece of direct evidence of criminal action has been presented or alleged."