On the Impeachment Trial: A Memo from Two Former Senators
As the Senate prepares to receive the articles of impeachment from the House, a number of senators are studying a memorandum written by Democratic former senator Russ Feingold and Republican former senator Chuck Hagel. The memo, titled “Presidential Impeachment Trial: What a Senator Should Know,” is a bipartisan deep dive into the history of impeachment trials. It’s meant to be both a primer and a guide book to help senators in the process of adopting rules for the trial, and the conduct of the trial itself. The Bulwark has obtained a copy of the memo and is providing it to readers as a public service.
For anyone interested in the nitty-gritty of how impeachment trials are run, this is required reading. To read the memo, you can download it here, open it in a new window here, or find it below.
Nota bene: This is a 44-page pdf, with footnotes, so don’t try to read it on your phone.