It appears Chief Justice John Roberts will get his wish and skip former President Donald Trump's upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
CNN reported Monday — and Senate sources later confirmed to NPR and Axios — that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the president pro tempore of the Senate, will preside over the trial, which is set to begin Feb. 8.
The Constitution dictates the Supreme Court's chief justice oversee a sitting president's impeachment trial, and Roberts did what was required last year when Trump was impeached for the first time, but the fact that this trial is taking place after Trump left office provided some legal wiggle room since there's no precedent for the situation. Roberts reportedly wanted to avoid another Senate trial because he was displeased with the politicization of his role last year.
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Assuming there are no changes to the plan, Leahy will now have dual roles during the trial, as he is still expected to serve as a juror along with the other 99 senators. Read more at NPR and Axios.
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