Congressman Chris Smith and his allies have failed to hold President Trump accountable, so we must.

As a commissioned United States Foreign Service Officer, I took an oath to protect and defend this country and our Constitution. During my time serving America at home and abroad, I have seen firsthand how fragile democracy is when bad actors compromise the integrity of elections. There is nothing more essential to a functional democracy than fair elections, held free from interference.

While my preferred way to remove President Trump from office would be via a vote in 2020, the actions he has taken by his own admission in demanding a foreign country interfere in U.S. elections represent a real threat to whether we can conduct those elections fairly as well as a threat to our national security.

The United States House of Representatives now has credible evidence that President Trump demanded a foreign power investigate a rival politician for the purpose of influencing our 2020 presidential election; and illegally withheld aid, including the shipment of critical military equipment to Ukraine, in an effort to further induce Ukraine’s participation in this corrupt scheme.

This is not the first time the President has acted in an unconstitutional manner with utter disregard for our laws and our Constitution. It will not be the last time he does so unless we hold him publicly accountable. As an attorney I have worked to uphold the foundational principle that no man or woman is above the law.

The President has repeatedly shown that he does not respect our Constitution. I join my future colleagues in supporting their decision to open a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump in pursuit of the truth and in defense of our Democracy.