All Three Westchester Congress members to Vote ‘Yes’
By Dan Murphy
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who represents the 18th District that includes northern Westchester and the Hudson Valley, responded to information last week about President Donald Trump’s conversations with the President of Ukraine and stated on national television news shows that he now supports impeachment.
“I have had a high bar for putting the country through an impeachment inquiry, especially so close to an election,” said Maloney. “But these allegations go to the heart of the oath I took. There comes a time to put your country first. Unless the Intelligence Committee immediately receives both the whistleblower complaint and the recordings of any calls – and they dispel these charges – I am prepared to pursue an impeachment inquiry of the president. The old Trump song and dance won’t cut it this time.”
Maloney now joins with Westchester’s two other members of Congress, Rep. Nita Lowey and Rep. Eliot Engel, who called for Trump’s impeachment over the summer.
Maloney was reluctant to call for impeachment until a whistleblower came forward last week to accuse Trump of improper behavior in asking the Ukrainian president to follow up on rumored investigations concerning Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden.
Maloney’s opponent in the 2020 election next year, republican Chele Chiavacci Farley, criticized Maloney change of opinion on impeachment.
“Despite talking out of both sides of his mouth all summer, Congressman Sean Maloney finally outed his real agenda today by publicly supporting impeachment against the president based on unsubstantiated and politically-motivated allegations,” said Farley. “Once again, the radical Democrats led by The Squad began a witch hunt based on the premise of guilt, and Congressman Maloney is right there with them.”
Farley and Maloney sparred this summer over whether Maloney had, in fact, supported impeachment.
“Despite my challenge to Congressman Maloney’s previous public denial of his support for impeachment, it should shock no one that he’s flipped on his position again,” said Farley. “Instead of wasting time and taxpayer money on phony investigations, Maloney should do his job and focus on issues that need to be addressed now, including approving new trade deals, lowering drug prices, and improving much needed infrastructure. He has abandoned his district with a very clear message to his constituents that they don’t matter. It’s time for him to go.”
After notes of the phone conversation between Trump and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky were made public, Farley said: “It is clear that Congressman Maloney made a rash and irresponsible public statement about an impeachment inquiry, without knowing any of the facts. The congressman’s accusation that President Trump engaged in ‘egregious conduct’ on his phone call with Ukranian President Zelensky has been proven to be without merit, as the recently released transcript clearly shows.
“Congressman Maloney and his radical socialist colleagues in the House continue to aggressively push a phony narrative based on speculative media reports with zero evidence. Now that President Trump has released the transcript, with the whistleblower complaint and inspector general report soon to follow, it is time for Maloney to do the right thing and retract his baseless calls for impeachment,” said Farley.
“There was no quid pro quo. It is reprehensible to watch members of Congress shamelessly push false information, despite evidence to the contrary, and aided by a politically-motivated liberal media,” said Farley.
The Maloney-Farley race next year will be one of only 25 across the country that are considered competitive, and is a race that republicans are hoping they can flip back to help the GOP retake control and a majority in the House of Representatives.
This district, and the district to the north, are both considered races where republicans can win. The 19th district is currently represented by democrat Rep. Antonio Delgado. The former Congressman in that district was republican John Faso. Prior to Maloney’s victory in 2012, the 18th District was held by republican Nan Hayworth and has flipped back and forth from democrat to republican over the past two decades.
Prior to his recent comments supporting impeachment, Maloney’s reasons for not supporting impeachment were that he impeachment proceedings would only help President Trump in his 2020 re-election bid.
