Rita Offutt, Editor
On Saturday, Feb. 13, the United States Senate voted against the impeachment of former President Donald Trump for the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol. Trump was on trial for inciting insurrection, or encouraging an act of rebellion. According to the National Public Radio (NPR), “The Democratic House impeachment managers argued that the former president, who addressed a rally outside the White House ahead of the insurrection, was ‘singularly responsible’ for the violence on Jan. 6.”
One of the representatives who served as a House impeachment manager was Madeleine Dean, a La Salle alumna who has been working in the House of Representatives since 2019. Dean completed her undergraduate degree at La Salle and went on to pursue a law degree at the Delaware Law Firm of Widener University. For 10 years, from 2001-2011, Dean came back to La Salle as an English professor. Based on her teaching career, Dean earned a score of 3.9 out of 5 on Rate My Professor, where users described her as a “great teacher” and someone who will “improve your writing skills.”
During the impeachment trial, Dean gave an impactful address as she detailed the events of Jan. 6. According to CBS Philly, she said, “At 1:45, the president’s followers surged past Capitol Police shouting, ‘This is a revolution.’ Just after 2:10, an hour after President Trump ended his speech, the insurrectionist mob overwhelmed Capitol security and made it inside the halls of Congress…Because the truth is, this attack never would have happened, but for Donald Trump. And so they came, draped in Trump’s flag and used our flag, the American flag, to batter and to bludgeon.” The Jan. 6 attack killed five people, and two police officers took their own lives following the event.
Dean was joined in her efforts by the lead manager from Maryland, Jamie Raskin, Joaquin Castro (Texas), David Cicilline (Rhode Island), Diana DeGette (Colorado), Ted Lieu (California), Joe Neguse (Colorado), Stacey Plaskett (Virgin Islands) and Eric Swalwell (California). Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, selected the nine impeachment managers, all of whom have backgrounds in constitutional law, law enforcement and civil rights. According to the New York Times (NYT), Pelosi said, “It is their constitutional and patriotic duty to present the case for the president’s impeachment and removal. They will do so guided by their great love of country, determination to protect our democracy and loyalty to our oath to the Constitution.” A related NYT article about Dean describes her commitment both to the Constitution and her faith, quoting her as saying, “I carry [a pocket constitution and a copy of the Beatitudes] with me because one is a guide to life — a high standard to strive for — and the other is the law of the land. One is how to live as a human being, and how to live as a citizen.”
The La Salle Collegian 