Sen. Susan Collins Working With ‘Small Group’ Of GOP Senators To Allow Impeachment Trial Witnesses

Sen. Susan Collins (R- Maine) said she’s working with a “fairly small group” of GOP senators to allow witnesses into President Donald Trump’s  impeachment trial. 

Collins told reporters Friday that she’s working with fellow Republican senators to make sure that the House impeachment leaders and the president’s counsel are able to call witnesses in the trial, adding “we should be completely open to calling witnesses.” 

“I am hopeful that we can reach an agreement on how to proceed with the trial that will allow the opportunity for both the House and the president’s counsel if they choose to do so,” she said.

This comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House of Representatives will vote on who will prosecute the case against the President this week and to deliver the articles of impeachment to the Senate this week. She’s been withholding the articles of impeachment from the Senate, stating that she would like to see the rules for the trial set by the Senate before the House delivers the articles. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has mentioned he doesn’t want to include new witnesses or documents in the vote on the rules for the Senate trial, and rather prefers to vote on the rules first and then vote on calling witnesses or consider new evidence later. 

Just last week, McConnell announced that he has enough support from the GOP to move forward with the process he wishes to proceed with, which he claims mirror procedures used in President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial. 

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House Democrats are looking to call former National Security Advisor John Bolton as a witness, including three others. On the other side of the isle, Trump wants to call House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Biden’s son, Hunter, as well as the anonymous whistleblower who prompted the whole investigation.