Senators are not jurors

Dec. 18, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement recalling that in 1999 then-Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist ruled that in an impeachment trial, “the Senate is not simply a jury, it is a court in this case”:

“The latest big lie being told by the Democrats is that Senators are jurors, they are not.  In the Clinton impeachment in 1999, Chief Justice Rehnquist ruled that Senators are not jurors, stating, ‘the Senate is not simply a jury, it is a court in this case.’  Senators are Constitutional officers sworn to uphold the Constitution and that is their duty. Senators ask questions and are actively engaged in the process on the Senate floor. Their duty is to be active rather than passive listeners and Republican Senators should not be cowed into silence by the false narrative that they are jurors, it is a lie.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org.

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