San Jose Congresswoman Zoe Lofegren appointed House impeachment manager

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- South Bay Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, has been named as one of the House impeachment managers who will argue the Democrats' case in the Senate trial of President Trump.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., made the announcement during a news conference in Washington, D.C. Wednesday morning. Democrats Adam Schiff of California and Jerrold Nadler of New York, who led the House impeachment probe, will also serve as managers.

Trump was impeached last month on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The charges stem from his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democrats as he withheld security aid to the country.

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Ms. Lofgren has experience with the impeachment process. She was a member of the House Judiciary Committee in 1998 when it approved the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. In 1974, she helped the committee draft its charges against President Richard Nixon. She was a law student at the time.

Ms. Lofgren is a Bay Area native. She was born in San Mateo and attended Stanford University and the Santa Clara University School of Law. Ms. Lofgren was first elected to Congress in 1994, after Congressman Don Edwards' retirement.

According to the New York Times, Ms. Lofgren's appointment puts a "seasoned, even-tempered ally on the small team of lawmakers whose arguments during the Senate proceedings will be closely scrutinized by other lawmakers, the news media and - perhaps most importantly - voters in an election year."

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Impeachment managers play a key role in the impeachment process. They are similar to prosecutors and are tasked with presenting the case for impeachment to the Senate. After the case is presented, removal requires a two-thirds majority, or 67 votes, to remove President Trump from office.