Congressman William Timmons (R-SC) released the following statement after his votes against the articles of impeachment brought against President Donald J. Trump. 

“Since the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives and gave Nancy Pelosi the Speaker’s gavel, it has not been a question of if, but when, they would impeach President Trump. The charges they brought forward illustrate the partisan nature of this “process.” They accuse the President of abusing the power of his office for political gain, but by doing so without providing sufficient evidence to support their claim, House Democrats are actually abusing power of their own. They accuse President Trump of obstructing Congress, but under the Constitution, complaints such as these should be resolved in our courts. Congress cannot issue blanket subpoenas to the Executive Branch and hope to find something incriminating. Instead, Congressional subpoenas must be supported by a “valid legislative purpose.” Presidents past, present, and future, are entitled to question whether a Congressional subpoena is backed by sufficient legal authority, or in this case, by a valid legislative purpose. And when they raise such a question, the Constitution says that the outcome should be resolved in the Judicial Branch.

“So why would the Democrats impeach the President now instead of waiting for the Supreme Court to fulfill their constitutional duty? Because they made up their mind to impeach the President the day they took the House. 

"This entire process has reeked of political opportunism from the get-go. Today’s vote will forever stain the legacy of this legislative body, and I refuse to be a part of it. 

"I voted against both articles of impeachment brought against President Donald Trump.”