Enforcement of 18 U.S. Code § 1512 against Congress (Preventing impeachment proceedings for political gain)

Impeachment should be an apolitical process that seeks to protect the Constitution. It shouldn’t be a way to drum up political support for some idea, an advertising piece for a political campaign, or otherwise a bit of flim-flam.

In general, there should be laws or Constitutional amendments that ensure this but, in their absence, we have to look at the existing body of code.

Maybe there is more but, that I have found in a brief search, the only law that might be applicable to members of Congress would seem to be 18 U.S. Code § 1512 (Witness Tampering), from section b on.

The President could choose to take a fairly wide view of “tampering” where, effectively, any public or politically-minded statement by anyone in Congress is viewed as a threat or element of “influence” towards witnesses to testify in one way or another. Likewise, any release of testimony that would be relevant to an impeachment proceeding, would influence the answers of later witnesses - to avoid contradictions that might cause perjury accusations, to coordinate responses in the name of covering the crime, etc.

None of which would prevent Congress from holding impeachment hearings nor voting to impeach, it would just require them to protect the sanctity of the investigation during the investigatory phase.

I don’t think this can fly. The Constitution gives to Congress, and Congress alone, the power to decide when to impeach. What is given by the Constitution can’t be taken away by any lesser law.

The only check possible against frivolous impeachment is a sufficient number of sane legislators. And if we don’t have that, we’re screwed, anyway.

You misspelled “voters”.

The Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution would likely bar the prosecution of a member of congress for supporting an impeachment proceeding (even one that is arguably frivolous).

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.