GOP witness at Biden impeachment inquiry advocated on behalf of a polygamist who raped a 13-year-old, said, "I'm pretty libertarian."

Twitter/@atrupar

The GOP opened a clown car of MAGA witnesses at today's Biden impeachment inquiry. One of the first to emerge was George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) wasted no time in exposing Turley's bizarre beliefs, which included advocating on behalf of a polygamist who raped a 13-year-old. Turley's defense? "I admit, I'm pretty libertarian."

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi: Professor Turley, in 2006 You wrote an op ed in The Guardian entitled, "Stop persecuting polygamists." There, you like in polygamists to "persecuted minorities" and you said polygamy is "a practice with deep and good-faith religious meaning." Isn't that what you said?

Jonathan Turley: I represented the Sister Wives, a family, in challenging a polygamy prosecution…

Krishnamoorthi: The answer is yes, you've been crusading for legalizing polygamy for years. In fact, in an op ed in the USA Today, you said that a Utah polygamist named Tom Green, who was also convicted of pedophilia for raping his 13-year-old stepdaughter should not have been charged with polygamy. Now, Mr. Chairman…

Turley: Can I respond because it's not entirely accurate? I actually criticized him, what I was dealing with was the constitutionality of what is called morals legislation. And I admit I'm pretty libertarian…

Krishnamoorthi: Was Tom Green convicted of pedophilia and rape? The answer is yes. Mr. Chairman, we're counting down the hours until the government shutdown and here we have a hearing where one we have one witness who defended a polygamist who was convicted of pedophilia and rape. And we have another witness with LinkedIn accounts with extreme views posted. I think that unfortunately, this speaks to the credibility of the witnesses and the credibility of this impeachment inquiry.

This conversation must be confusing for folks in the MAGA world, where the word "pedophile" simply means "a person Trump told me not to like," and doesn't have anything to do with actual pedophiles.