Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, blocked Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) from asking a question on Thursday during the trial.
Paul tweeted, “My question today is about whether or not individuals who were holdovers from the Obama National Security Council and Democrat partisans conspired with Schiff staffers to plot impeaching the President before there were formal House impeachment proceedings.”
Paul then tweeted out the question that Roberts censored: “My exact question was: Are you aware that House intelligence committee staffer Shawn Misko had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together and are you aware and how do you respond to reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the President before there were formal house impeachment proceedings.”
and are you aware and how do you respond to reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the President before there were formal house impeachment proceedings. 2/2
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 30, 2020
Paul continued, “My question is not about a ‘whistleblower’ as I have no independent information on his identity. My question is about the actions of known Obama partisans within the NSC and House staff and how they are reported to have conspired before impeachment proceedings had even begun.”
WATCH:
Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question from a senator from Kentucky: "The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted" https://t.co/WlozSBas9w pic.twitter.com/KU0tfQ1pd3
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 30, 2020
Fox News’ Gregg Re reported late on Wednesday:
Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts blocked Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul from posing a question during the Senate impeachment trial Wednesday that would have named the alleged whistleblower at the center of the case, Fox News is told — and Paul may try to force the issue during the question-and-answer session that begins Thursday afternoon.
Roberts, for now, has ball control because he actually receives the questions in note cards from senators, then reads the question aloud in the Senate chamber to be answered by either House Democratic managers or Trump’s defense team. But Fox News has learned Roberts may soon lose his grip on the proceedings amid a torrent of criticism both inside and outside the Senate.
Online, legal experts, politicians, and other notable figures slammed Roberts’ decision to block the question from Paul on Thursday.
Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley, a Trump critic who also served as an impeachment witness during Democrats’ partisan investigation late last year, responded by writing: “The Chief Justice again refused to read Paul’s question. This is relatively uncharted because the reading of the name does not directly violate federal law. It is a matter of decorum and restraint claimed by Roberts inherent authority.”
The Chief Justice again refused to read Paul's question. This is relatively uncharted because the reading of the name does not directly violate federal law. It is a matter of decorum and restraint claimed by Roberts
inherent authority. https://t.co/7aoEta8RVw— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) January 30, 2020
Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) responded by writing: “.@RandPaul asked a reasonable question, and the Chief Justice is wrong to not let the managers answer the question. Regardless of whether this individual is the “whistleblower,” there are legitimate concerns that the Deep State conspired with Democrats against @realDonaldTrump.”
.@RandPaul asked a reasonable question, and the Chief Justice is wrong to not let the managers answer the question.
Regardless of whether this individual is the "whistleblower," there are legitimate concerns that the Deep State conspired with Democrats against @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/cwK9HGyFgm
— Rep. Jody Hice (@CongressmanHice) January 30, 2020
Donald Trump Jr. responded by writing: “Why did the Chief Justice just block a question from @RandPaul on the origins of this circus? America deserves to know the truth, including who did Schiff meet with, when and why!”
Why did the Chief Justice just block a question from @RandPaul on the origins of this circus? America deserves to know the truth, including who did Schiff meet with, when and why!
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 30, 2020
Republican strategist Andrew Surabian responded by writing: “I thought Adam Schiff and the media already told us that no one knows who the ‘whistleblower’ is, so why are we being forced to treat the name of a current NSC staffer, who’s salary is paid for by American taxpayers, like he’s Lord Voldemort? #HeWhoShallNotBeNamed”
I thought Adam Schiff and the media already told us that no one knows who the "whistleblower" is, so why are we being forced to treat the name of a current NSC staffer, who's salary is paid for by American taxpayers, like he's Lord Voldemort?#HeWhoShallNotBeNamed https://t.co/yz1VT3VVDQ
— Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) January 30, 2020