It Starts at the Top: What Impeachment and the UAW Corruption Lawsuit Have in Common

At this point in time, it can feel like every day is filled with breaking news. This week, though, was truly filled to the brim with politics, and from impeachment to the UAW corruption scandal, there is a lot to unpack. David Shepardson of Reuters joins Detroit Today with guest host Jake Neher to dissect to all and discuss the implications of both stories. The two discuss impeachment and the polarized view many are viewing the proceedings through, as well as the UAW controversy. 

This week’s public impeachment hearings have come to a close. Multiple witnesses provided Congress with damning testimony, implicating President Trump and his closest advisors in unethical behavior. Now that the dust of the hearings has settled, has public opinion shifted or had people made up their minds prior to the televised event? 

Shepardson emphasizes the political nature of impeachment. He says that outcomes are heavily influenced by political calculus and maneuvering by lawmakers on both sides. “The president has done a pretty remarkable job of keeping the party together,” says Shepardson. He believes this is in no small part due to President Trump’s popularity among Republican voters. He presumes that if the president didn’t enjoy such committed support from constituents, that Republicans in Congress may not be so apt to back him. Ultimately, “It’s hard to see how this is going to shift Republican opinion,” says Shepardson. 

Moving from one controversy to another, UAW President Gary Jones resigned this week amid a corruption scandal. The organization’s former president saw the writing on the wall as top officials began to push him out. Shepardson says it all happened very quickly, but that many saw the move coming as revelations from the scandal began to mount. He believes that after being accused of allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars of union money, it became impossible for Jones to weather the storm. The same lawsuit that took down Gary Jones has instigated a racketeering lawsuit filed by GM, directed at Fiat Chrysler. Shepardson points out that there is longstanding bad blood between the two companies and to expect a painful and ugly fight that won’t be resolved quickly. 

Click the player above to hear move from David Shepardson on impeachment as well as the UAW corruption scandal.