The Need to Impeach campaign, directed and funded by liberal billionaire Tom Steyer, has sent thousands of impeachment guides to independent and third-party candidates running in the 2018 midterm elections to inform them of what it sees to be President Donald Trump's impeachable offenses.
The campaign has mailed over 5,100 impeachment guides to federal and state candidates since Friday "as a resource to help inform you about the steps we must take to remove one of the gravest dangers our country has ever confronted," according to Newsweek.
"As a candidate seeking elected office, it is important for you to understand this subject, which is too often misunderstood," the guide read. "Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our country, and his actions have already superseded the threshold for impeachment as originally conceived by our nation’s Founding Fathers."
Steyer said the guide will help candidates "engage in meaningful conversations."
"It’s important that candidates running for office this year understand the history, justification, and steps involved in the impeachment process," Steyer said in a statement. "Our guide will prepare candidates to engage in meaningful conversations with constituents about the dangers Trump poses to the country, and to take action as soon as they enter office."
More than 5.1 million Americans have signed a petition calling for Congress to proceed in removing Trump from office, but two forced votes by Democratic Rep. Al Green (Texas) have failed by large margins.
While Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) has been vocal in her call for Trump to be impeached, House Democratic leadership–House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.)–have distanced themselves from the impeachment campaign, urging Democrats to wait for special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation to be completed.
Axios pointed out that D.C. Democrats have privately complained Steyer's campaign is an "unhelpful, out-of-touch strategy."
"One of the worst things we can do for the cause of getting rid of Donald Trump is tell the American public that we've already concluded he should be impeached before the Mueller investigation shows us its findings," a Democratic strategist said.
Steyer spoke at a town hall late last month in Arlington, Virginia, where he frequently took aim at Democrats for not being more proactive in impeaching Trump, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
"I think for the Democrats, obviously … I mean, the representative of this district, Don Beyer, is not in favor of impeachment, even though I think there are 90,000 people from this district who signed our petition," Steyer said.
"This is a heavily Democratic, progressive district. So I would say to you, I don't know that much about Congressman Beyer, I'm sure he's a good person. I think you guys should ask him for the reason. I think it's a very legitimate question as constituents to ask, ‘If this is the number one issue of the day, what is it about this president that makes you want to put up with this kind of lawlessness for another day?'"