Hundreds of congressional aides sign open letter telling bosses to convict Trump

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More than 370 Democratic congressional aides signed a letter urging Senators to convict former President Donald Trump in the upcoming impeachment trial for inciting an attack on their workplace.

"Many of us attended school in the post-Columbine era and were trained to respond to active shooter situations in our classrooms," the staffers write in the letter first published by The New York Times.

They write that the mob was also incited by Mr Trump's "political allies, some of whom we pass every day in the hallways at work".

They describe hiding "behind chairs and under desks" and barricading themselves in offices, while others watched the events of 6 January on TV while they "frantically tried to reach bosses and colleagues as they fled for their lives".

Charging Mr Trump with breaking "America’s 230-year legacy of the peaceful transition of power," the staff members remind Senators in the open letter that "Six people died. A Capitol Police officer — one of our co-workers who guards and greets us every day — was beaten to death."

The aides argue that anyone who doesn't believe in the values of the constitution, "commitment to equal justice, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of our differences," has "no place representing the American people, now or in the future".

Read more: Follow live updates on the Biden administration

67 Senators, including at least 17 Republicans, would be required to convict Mr Trump. If he is convicted, something which is looking overwhelmingly unlikely to happen, he can then be barred from ever holding federal office again by a simple majority vote in the Senate.

"The use of violence and lies to overturn an election is not worthy of debate. Either you stand with the republic or against it," the Democratic staff members write towards the end of the letter, adding that they're asking Senators "to convict the former president and bar him from ever holding office again".  

Congressional aides rarely speak publicly about their own views. They advise their members behind the scenes and many speak on behalf of their bosses. The signatories include press secretaries, schedulers, committee staff members and advisers, according to The New York Times.

Comparably few hold positions like chief of staff or committee staff director. Speaker Nancy Pelosi's deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill was one of those who signed the letter, as did Shadawn Reddick-Smith who works for Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee.

Others include Anne Feldman, communications director for Colorado Representative Jason Crow, the Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who helped guide other members to safety during the riot. Daniel Gleick also signed the letter, he is the communications director for Florida Representative Val Demings, who was among those considered to be President Joe Biden's running mate.

No Republican staffers signed the letter after offers were made to change the wording to accommodate their fears of blowback.