George Washington University Experts Available for Media Interviews on Former President Trump’s Impeachment Trial

The second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump, who is charged with incitement of insurrection, will commence on Feb. 9, 2021. The George Washington University has the following experts available to discuss impeachment, including the constitutionality of the trial, congressional procedure and the legal and political implications. 

Paul Schiff Berman is the Walter S. Cox professor of law at GW Law and one of the world’s foremost theorists on the effects of globalization among legal systems. A former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, he is available to discuss the constitutionality of trying a president who has left office and who should pay for the cost of an impeachment trial.

Catherine J. Ross is the Fred C. Stevenson Research Professor at GW Law. A specialist in constitutional law with particular emphasis on the First Amendment, she is the author of the forthcoming book “Presidential Lies, The First Amendment, and Democracy.” She can speak to issues of free speech surrounding the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Peter J. Smith is the Arthur Selwyn Miller Research Professor at GW Law and an expert in constitutional law. A former Justice Department lawyer, he can address the definition of impeachment, what the Constitution says about the process, whether a president can be impeached when their term is over and whether impeachable offenses must be crimes. 

Casey Burgat is director of the legislative affairs master’s program at the GW Graduate School of Political Management . Burgat is a congressional scholar and an expert on Senate and House procedure. He can explain the impeachment trial process in the Senate and the party dynamics at play within the chamber.

Lara Brown is director of the GW Graduate School of Political Management. She is a former official in the Clinton administration and an expert on the presidency. She  can discuss the effect impeachment has on the legacy of a president and the potential impact of Trump’s second impeachment on both parties and on the early stages of the Biden presidency.

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