As a Maine citizen and Army veteran, I never thought I would have to demand that my United States senator do the right thing, but here we are. Sen. Susan Collins must demand that the Senate allow a fair, transparent impeachment trial by allowing both the prosecution and defense to present all pertinent witnesses and documents.

Let us know the truth. If the evidence exonerates President Trump, great. If it shows he is guilty of impeachable offenses, he must be removed from office.

It is unconscionable that Senate Republicans are trying to cram through a sham trial. We deserve so much better.

Also, Sen. Collins is being disingenuous, claiming that the House should have done the Senate’s job for them. She knows that the House inquiry is equivalent to a grand jury inquiry. Their job was to investigate whether enough evidence of crimes existed to warrant an indictment. Then it’s the Senate’s job to hold the actual trial.

The House did its job. The Senate now needs to do its constitutional duty and hold a fair trial.

In every criminal trial, the prosecution and the defense are allowed to call witnesses and present evidence.

Maine has a storied history of distinguished senators, including Margaret Chase Smith, who stood up to Joseph McCarthy, and William Hathaway, who stood up to Richard Nixon. Mainers pride themselves on being honest and fair. We deserve senators who will stand up for our principles and demand that all the witnesses and evidence be presented.

Mary Booth, Auburn

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