Wright State to host discussion on the impeachment process

The Wright State School of Public and International Affairs and Student Legal Services will hold a panel presentation by Wright State faculty on the impeachment process on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 12:20 to 1:30 p.m. in 109 Oelman Hall. The event is open to all students, faculty and staff at Wright State, as well as the general public.

The panel will be composed of three Wright State professors and will focus on the facts, misconceptions and implications of a presidential impeachment.

Ed Fitzgerald, professor of political science, will discuss prior impeachments in U.S history. Lee Hannah, associate professor of political science, will discuss what impeachment would mean for Congress and the 2020 presidential election. Myron Levine, a professor of urban affairs, will review the power of impeachment.

The presentation is well-timed with the U.S. House of Representatives pursuing an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

December Green, professor of political science and chair of the School of Public and International Affairs, said the panel discussion was organized to help the public better understand the impeachment process.

“Several people approached me about asking our experts offer a panel on impeachment. They were concerned that there is a lot of confusion over the inquiry and the process, the distortions stemming from the impeachment political debate, and what it all means for our democracy,” she said.

Green says while this panel is focused on a single topic, more presentations could be scheduled on similar subjects in the future.

“If the need arises, we may come back together to continue the conversation,” she said. “Especially in these highly polarized times we can all benefit from a civil exchange of ideas.”