Seth Moulton outlines his reasons for voting to impeach president

NORTH SHORE — U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton has issued a statement explaining why he voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump.

It is just the third impeachment voted by the House of Representatives in U.S. history.

The votes were largely along party lines. However, three Democrats voted against the measure, and presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard effectively abstained by voting present.

No Republicans supported impeachment.

In his statement, Moulton said, “No president in history has done so much damage to our institutions, to our Constitution, or to our values.”

“When our Founders expressed their fears of foreign interference in our elections, even they must never have imagined that a U.S. president would solicit and sanction it,” he said.

Moulton said previous presidents facing impeachment have respected the constitutional powers of Congress.

He accused Trump of “obstructing testimony from members of his administration” and that he “flagrantly violated” Congress’ powers.

“I swore an oath, as a United States Marine and as a member of Congress, to protect and defend the Constitution unconditionally. Today, that oath compelled me to vote to impeach President Donald Trump,” Moulton said.

“The standards to which we hold the president today set the precedent for future presidents and future generations. History will judge whether, in this time of great division, our leaders put our country first and upheld the American principles of our government: that all are created equal, that no one is above the law, and that we are all responsible for building a freer and more perfect Union,” he added.