Democrats’ impeachment hearings make a ‘mockery’ of a serious process | Opinion

House Democrats have no clear vision for America, and their deeply unpopular policies leave them unable to compete with President Trump at the ballot box. With no answer to the Trump administration’s success, Democrats are instead limping forward with their sham impeachment inquiry. As they continue their circus of unfounded accusations — at the expense of your tax dollars and many important bills gathering dust on Nancy Pelosi’s desk — Florida’s Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is front and center as a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

Mucarsel-Powell will surely push the same Ukraine conspiracy theories as her fellow Democrats, wielding impeachment as a political weapon in order to overturn the will of the American people. It remains to be seen, however, if Mucarsel-Powell will mention her own ties to Ukrainian oligarchs.

Mucarsel-Powell’s husband, Robert Powell, earned almost $700,000 from companies associated with Igor Kolomoisky, a Ukrainian oligarch who has been accused of corruption, contract killings and embezzlement. Felman Trading Company, where Robert Powell served as general counsel for almost 10 years, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Georgian-American Alloys, which is controlled by Kolomoisky.

This raises concerns about Mucarsel-Powell’s viability in the impeachment process. Her husband’s Ukrainian connections raise serious questions about her early enthusiasm for impeachment. It also bears mentioning that Kolomoisky is now embracing Russia, baselessly criticizing President Trump, and attacking legitimate efforts to investigate the Biden-Ukraine corruption. Also, Kolomoisky is under FBI investigation. We think Mucarsel-Powell has a financial conflict of interest when voting on Ukraine-related impeachment issues.

This is the latest entry in a long list of double standards for this impeachment inquiry. Democrats decided to impeach the president before hearings even began, making a mockery out of a serious, constitutional process. As long as they can overturn the 2016 election, nothing’s off the table. But Floridians are paying attention. We see through the charade and that will be evident at the ballot box come 2020.

Nelson Diaz is chairman of the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County.