Hundreds of Democratic staffers from both chambers of Congress are pleading with senators to convict former President Donald Trump in his upcoming impeachment trial for his part in the events leading up to the deadly riot at the Capitol last month.
On Jan. 6, "our workplace was attacked by a violent mob trying to stop the electoral college vote count," the 370 staff members wrote in an open letter. "That mob was incited by former president Donald J. Trump and his political allies, some of whom we pass every day in the hallways at work."
The staff members come from more than 100 House and 15 Senate offices and include those on the Judiciary, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees. They said they hope the senators will take their trauma seriously when the chamber weighs whether to convict the former president.
“The attack on our workplace was inspired by lies told by the former president and others about the results of the election in a baseless, months-long effort to reject votes lawfully cast by the American people,” they wrote.
While 45 Republicans voted last week for a failed measure that said the trial of the former president would be unconstitutional, the Democratic aides are holding out hope that some of them might be swayed to support conviction. Sixty-seven Senators are needed to convict the president, meaning 17 Republicans would need to join all Democrats in supporting that verdict.
Weeks after the violent riots that left five people dead, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, many members, aides and Capitol staff are still reeling from fallout.
“As congressional employees, we don’t have a vote on whether to convict Donald J. Trump for his role in inciting the violent attack at the Capitol, but our senators do," the staff members wrote in their letter. "And for our sake, and the sake of the country, we ask that they vote to convict the former president and bar him from ever holding office again.”
