The City Council of the City of West Hollywood, at its regular meeting on Monday, June 19, 2017, approved a Resolution that calls on the U.S. House of Representatives to initiate proceedings for the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.
“Impeachment should be reserved as a last resort,” said West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman. “In less than six months in office, President Trump has already violated federal law by attempting to obstruct justice and his administration is plagued by numerous conflicts of interest. We need to hold him accountable.”
“Ultimately, this is an ethics issue and a legal issue,” said Councilmember Lauren Meister. “The Emoluments Clause clearly states that the President shall not receive any gifts or benefits other than his compensation. No other President in this country’s history has so blatantly disregarded protocol and the Constitution.”
The City of West Hollywood’s Resolution comes as a response to numerous violations of the Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution, multiple violations of federal law as it relates to the employment of relatives, serious national security concerns resulting from potential interference with federal elections in 2016, and amid investigations of obstruction of justice with the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
The City of West Hollywood joins a growing number of cities, including the California cities of Los Angeles, Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and Richmond; as well as the Massachusetts cities of Brookline, Cambridge, Amherst, Pelham, and Leverett; in calling for the initiation of impeachment proceedings. Although local municipalities have no authority over any action that the United States Congress may take, local Resolutions are a call for Congress to take the first steps toward impeachment proceedings. The District of Columbia and the State of Maryland have filed lawsuits against the President for violating anti-corruption clauses in the Constitution.
The City of West Hollywood will send copies of the Resolution to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and Senator Kamala Harris; to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Representative Adam Schiff; to Governor Jerry Brown; to State Senator Ben Allen; and to State Assemblymember Richard Bloom; as well as to additional public officials and organizations, as appropriate.
In December 2016, the City of West Hollywood reaffirmed its commitment to its core values and is working diligently to defend the fundamental rights of its community members. The City is monitoring federal proposals and is responding to policy changes that may have a harmful effect on West Hollywood’s residents, including LGBT residents, people with disabilities, seniors, people of color, immigrants, women, and others.
In February 2017, the West Hollywood City Council approved an item that directs City of West Hollywood staff to take steps in prohibiting West Hollywood City Hall from doing business with entities that provide financial or other benefits to the President of the United States or his revocable trust.
