Democrat Kind says impeachment should be ‘last resort’

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind says he supports investigating President Donald Trump but impeachment and removal from office should be a “last resort.”

Kind made the comments Thursday in an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio.

Kind says the House is right to investigate a whistleblower’s complaint that Trump was pushing Ukraine’s leader into opening an investigation of a company connected to the son of Trump’s potential 2020 Democratic rival Joe Biden. It is illegal to solicit or receive foreign help in a U.S. election.

Kind calls it “extremely serious allegations” and he wants to gather all the facts before saying whether impeachment is proper. That is a similar position to Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, who represents the Madison area. Wisconsin’s other Democratic House member, Gwen Moore, says she would vote to impeach.

Kind says what Trump is accused of is unlawful, unconstitutional and unpatriotic.