In a twist of irony, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., delaying the House articles of impeachment is a "quid pro quo," "wrong constitutionally," and "an abuse of House power," if not "attempted extortion," according to former special counsel Ken Starr.
"I said, 'hey it's attempted extortion," Starr told Fox News' "Fox & Friends: Weekend." "It certainly is asking for a quid pro quo."
Pelosi has said she is withholding the House articles of impeachment until she hears of the Senate rules for its impeachment trial, in the name of unfairness, which has been a claim levied against House Democrats in their impeachment inquiry against the president.
"It's an impeachment with a footnote or with an asterisk – by the way, it never went over to the Senate – which I think means that it's a bit of a phony impeachment," Starr told host Ed Henry
The articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump include abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, but Speaker Pelosi's failing to deliver the articles to the Senate might be worse than the claims levied against the president, Starr said.
"She appears to be intruding into the powers of the Senate which is ironic in the extreme, isn't it?" Starr said. "So, I think there is an abuse of House power in the way that this process unfolded in the House and riding roughshod over minority rights and, ultimately, the rights of the president.
"Now she's trying to essentially tell the Senate how to do its business: Here's the deal, Sen. McConnell, leader McConnell. And it's just wrong constitutionally."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.