Allen West is chiding Democrats for fundraising off of the prospect of impeachment, which he assures his readers is “not happening.” But in recent weeks, West has repeatedly solicited donations from subscribers to his email list to help bolster the impeachment movement, which he claimed was “gaining speed!”
In a July 30 post to his website, West, a Fox News contributor and former Republican congressman, advised readers, “As much as you'd like to, don't fall into the impeachment trap.”
He explained that “evil” Democrats had “successfully made the word 'impeachment' verboten in America,” adding, “In fact, they've managed to turn it into political heyday as they celebrate fundraising records based on generating fear among their base over something that's not happening.”
West lamented how Democrats “have effectively outmaneuvered the fail safe measures entrusted to us by our Founding Fathers to replace the rule of law with the rule of one.” Instead of impeaching the president, West posited that Republicans “must do that which the Democrats truly fear: ensure they lose control of the U.S. Senate and expand the GOP House majority.”
West's warning about the dangers of impeachment stand in stark contrast to what he's been saying on the issue for months. In June, following the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, West called on the House of Representatives to “draft articles of impeachment as no one is above the law in America.”
While he now claims impeachment is “not happening,” fundraising emails he recently sent to his followers struck a decidedly different note. For example, on July 10, after fellow Fox News contributor Sarah Palin joined the conservative calls for impeachment, West sent out an email soliciting “emergency contribution[s]” to help his PAC distribute a survey asking people whether the House should impeach the president. According to West, Palin's support for impeachment was evidence “This movement is far from over....it's gaining speed!” He also described impeachment as a “growing movement” and a “huge grassroots movement.”
On June 28, West asked for “emergency donation[s]” to his PAC, telling subscribers, “the time has come to hold [Obama] accountable.” West pointed to House Speaker John Boehner's lawsuit targeting the president as the “initial steps that I believe will lead to impeachment.”
In a June 19 email to subscribers with the subject line, “Breaking- Enough votes to impeach Obama?”, West touted comments from Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) claiming the House “probably” had enough votes to impeach the president. Once again asking for an “emergency donation,” West explained, “Now - more than ever - we need to get the Guardian Fund's impeachment survey into the hands of every conservative in America.”
Conservatives, who have spent years calling for impeachment, have recently tried to blame Democrats for supposedly “ginning up” the issue.