Paul Cook: “Mr. Speaker, the argument has been made that lying about sex is different and does not qualify as a high crime and…”

“Mr. Speaker, the argument has been made that lying about sex is different and does not qualify as a high crime and misdemeanor. I am not a lawyer, but I do not think that the law requiring us to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth means we can tell the truth that is convenient or the truth only about certain things. A lie is a lie. A lie to a grand jury and a lie in a sworn deposition is equally a lie and equally a violation of the law, whether it is about sex or whether it is about national security. Others who have lied under oath have been criminally charged. In the last 2 years, 3 people in my State of Utah have been charged, convicted and sentenced for lying under oath. They faced the consequences of their actions and they took their punishment. How can we now tell the American public that a lesser standard applies to the President of the United States, the chief administrator of the laws of this country? Some have argued that by voting for impeachment we are lowering the bar for impeachment. I disagree. I think we are instead affirming democracy as truly the cornerstone of this great country.”