Sen. Ron Johnson Continues Impeachment Bumbling

MADISON, Wis. — After briefly dodging reporters’ questions, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has put himself back in the middle of Donald Trump’s ethical morass. Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he would be willing to testify about what he knows about Trump’s quid pro quo with Ukraine for dirt on political opponents and that he also would not recuse himself from any vote on impeachment if a trial were held in the U.S. Senate.

“Ron Johnson talked himself into the ridiculous position of offering himself up as a witness who wants to exonerate Donald Trump and a juror, who also wants to exonerate Donald Trump,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Analiese Eicher. “What Sen. Johnson is proposing isn’t just nonsensical, it’s unethical.”

Sen. Johnson found himself in the Trump impeachment spotlight after a disastrous performance on a national public affairs program where he was asked to respond to reports he seemed to be uncomfortable with Donald Trump’s apparent linkage of U.S. aid to Ukraine with efforts to dig up dirt on his political opponents. Johnson spiralled off into conspiracy theories to avoid answering simple, direct questions and offered laughable proof Donald Trump had done nothing improper – he told him he didn’t do it.

According to the latest reported comments from Johnson:

“Johnson hasn’t been asked to testify in the House’s impeachment inquiry but has said he would cooperate if asked.

‘I wouldn’t resist,’ he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel of how he would react to a request to testify. ‘I’m always happy to tell the truth.’

Two ethics experts told the Journal Sentinel this month that Johnson should consider recusing himself from a vote on removing Trump if the matter gets to the Senate because of Johnson’s involvement in the matter.

Johnson said he would not do that because the people who elected him deserve to have representation if the issue comes to the Senate.”

Eicher noted Johnson, who before joining the U.S. Senate ran the plastics factory given to him by his in-laws, has a history of sharing his ill-informed opinions with the public. Selected Johnson gaffes are listed on One Wisconsin Now’s The wRONg Johnson Archive.