The Billionaire Behind Impeachment Impetus

California billionaire Tom Steyer is spearheading an under the radar campaign to intimidate Democrats to impeach President Trump.  A political action committee, Need to Impeach, bankrolled primarily by Steyer has a multi-million dollar war chest and an expansive staff at its disposal.

Steyer, one of the Democratic Party's most prodigious contributors, is a former hedge fund manager who sold his share in 2012. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.6 billion.  Since 2014, Steyer has shelled out more than $100 million to Democrat candidates.

Less than six months after Trump was sworn in as president, Steyer called for the impeachment of the nation's chief executive. From that day in June of 2017, the Californian has used his fortune to build a formidable cache to underwrite a nationwide grassroots campaign to remove the president.

According to the non-partisan group OpenSecrets.org, Steyer has written checks totaling nearly $50 million to underwrite the impeachment effort.  In fairness, there is nothing illegal about the activities of his organization.  However, Steyer's tactics are worrying some Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi.

Steyer's committee has used negative advertising, petitions, rallies, protests and door-to-door canvassing to target House Democrats reluctant to sign on to impeachment. Even before the Mueller report, the Steyer forces were ganging up on key House Democrats to support impeachment.

Under the banner of Need to Impeach, Steyer unleashed negative ads targeting Democrat Jerry Nadler of New York, the diminutive Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee after he announced that he advocated a "wait and see" impeachment approach before the special prosecutor issued his findings.

Elijah Cummings of Maryland is another Democrat who found himself in the Steyer crosshairs as chair of the House Oversight Committee. The negative ads failed to impress Cummings.  "He ought to spend his money on something else," Cummings said after the Streyer-backed attack.

In another political assault, the organization zeroed in on Virginia Democrat Don Beyer. The Steyer troops choose Beyer's district for one of its town halls to "call out" the Democrat for his lack of support for impeachment,  Beyer relented under pressure and signed on to impeachment soon after.

As these developments were happening, Speaker of the House Pelosi found herself languishing in a boiling political caldron.  Early on, Ms. Pelosi sidestepped the issue, rebuffing party progressives who were spoiling for a formal impeachment vote.

Then a spokesman for the impeachment outfit let it be known that his group was considering funding pro-impeachment Democrat candidates in the primaries, unless incumbents give their full throated support to ridding Washington of President Trump.  That well-timed leak scared fence sitters.

One of the names mentioned was Speaker Pelosi, one of the party's most influential fund raisers. Surely it is coincidental, but after months of tap dancing around the subject Pelosi surrendered to the growing cacophony from her caucus to become a focal point for impeachment.

Steyer is unapologetic for the bare knuckled political campaign.  "There's a gigantic cost to not listening to your constituents," Steyer said in an interview with Politico. "There's a gigantic cost to thumbing your nose at democracy."  Democrats dodge impeachment at their own peril.

To underscore his boss' intentions, Need to Impeach strategist Kevin Mack claims the organization had virtually unlimited resources to spend in key districts.  The group has already committed $40 million to the impeachment effort, according to Mack.

The PAC is not the only forum for Steyer to preach removing Mr. Trump.  The 62-year-old is running for president in the Democratic Party primary.  He has made it clear that he will spend up to $100 million of his own money to win the nomination.

His candidacy has brought impeachment to center stage, making it a litmus test for his opponents. Those who don't support forcibly throwing out the president will earn Steyer's scorn.  That could spell doom for the eventual nominee, if Steyer withholds financial support.

The Californian has already spent an estimated $19 million for advertising over the airwaves for his candidacy.  In addition, his campaign has purchased at least $10 million on digital platforms since he entered the race in July.  His spending far eclipses that of his opponents.

His high rolling spending has not impressed some Democrat candidates.  New Jersey Senator Cory Booker told supporters that Steyer's "ability to spend millions of his personal wealth has helped him gain in the polls like no one else."  One poll shows support for Steyer has reached eight percent.

Don't be fooled: Rep Adam Schiff and Rep. Nadler are just puppets in the impeachment sideshow. The puppet master is Tom Steyer.  Even if his Quixotic presidential campaign flops, the billionaire will remain the political energy behind the political operation to overturn the 2016 election.