If You Can Get Trump Impeached, You'll Win $10 Million

WASHINGTON, DC — Notable outlets and institutions have made various cases for impeaching President Trump on grounds ranging from violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, abusing executive authority, threatening freedom of the press and obstructing justice.

But those hoping for impeachment got a boost this weekend as the incentive to come forward with any potential bombshell grew much stronger.

Pornography publisher Larry Flynt offered "up to $10 million" in the Sunday Washington Post to anyone who produces information that leads to President Donald Trump's impeachment and removal from office. He asks for any "smoking gun" that is fit to publish and drives Trump from office. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

During last year's presidential campaign, Flynt dangled $1 million to anyone who could turn over video or audio capturing Trump behaving in an illegal or sexually demeaning manner. That followed the release of the 2005 "Access Hollywood" video in which Trump bragged of imposing himself on women.

Even as Flynt looks for new information, others argue that the case for impeachment is already plain to see.

On Friday, Conor Friedersdorf argued in The Atlantic that Trump's recent threats to news outlets he deems "fake news" constitute a breach of his oath of office and thus warrant impeachment. Earlier in the week, the Brookings Institution laid out a case spanning more than 100 pages that found Trump likely committed obstruction of justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey, which could itself warrant removal from office.

When Trump pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Frank Bowman in Slate, among others, argued that this was an abuse of power warranting impeachment.

Indeed, just a few months into the Trump presidency, Allan Lichtman, a political historian at American University, published "The Case for Impeachment," citing Trump's ties to Russia, his extensive financial interests and his alleged abuse of executive power as grounds to cut short the president's term.

As many observers point out, though, impeachment is a political process, not a legal one. It occurs only if there are enough votes in the House and Senate to take on the president and not a moment sooner. At this point, there appears to be little reason to think the GOP-controlled Congress has the inclination to remove the president — not even with $10 million on the line.

The Associated Press Contributed to this report.

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AP Photo/Katy Winn, file