Impeachment Series ‘The I-Word’ Launched Online By ‘Circus’ Co-Host John Heilemann & Obama’s Ex-Acting Solicitor General

Dominic Patten

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EXCLUSIVE: The first round of public impeachment hearings wrapped up on November 21, but today saw the debut of a new video venture examining the process to potentially extradite Donald Trump from the Oval Office.

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Moving in where perhaps Meet The Press fears to tread, this morning The Circus co-host John Heilemann and former Acting Solicitor General and NBC/MSNBC analyst Neal Katyal launch The I-Word on The Recount site and app.

As the name more than suggests, the 15-minute weekly series will focus on the ever-expanding House of Representatives inquiry into the former Celebrity Apprentice host’s attempts to allegedly strong arm the newly installed Ukrainian government to start probing ex-VP Joe Biden and his family. As one would expect from Game Change co-author, Wu-Tang Clan megafan and The Recount editor-in-chief Heilemann, the first original content series from the fairly recently premiering mobile platform aims to stir up the partisan Kool-Aid

To that goal, The I-Word, sliced up into a trio of five-minute segments, will look at what has just happened in the impeachment hoopla, what it means and what’s coming down the line. “This show represents exactly what Recount sets out to do – provide substance, clarity and brevity – from two of the best legal and political minds out there,” declares ex-Viceland SVP Nomi Ernst Leidner, who is now the EVP for Programming and Development for The Recount.

As you’d assume, Heilemann will provide the political take on the only fourth impeachment of a POTUS in American history and Katyal will spotlight the legal aspects of the high stakes matter.

“One of my great loves is being an educator,” co-host Katyal told Deadline of the project, which starts today and will have new episodes every Sunday to come likely deep into 2020. “As Americans are feeling overwhelmed by everything happening in our national government, I am excited to work with John Heilemann and The Recount to be able to help explain the ins and outs of the impeachment process in a short segment that leaves you in the know and empowers you to be part of the conversation.”

Taking over the Solicitor General’s office in May 2010 after Elena Kagan was nominated successfully to become a Supreme Court Justice by President Barack Obama, Katyal served until early June 2011. Now a law firm partner, Katyal is no stranger to punditry, late night TV and even made a cameo as himself in Season 3 of Netflix’s House of Cards.

Fueled by an approximately $10 million investment from the likes of NBA star Kevin Durant’s Thirty-Five Ventures and Jay-Z’s Arrive fund, Recount Media has been serving up quick cable news clip filled summaries the past few months – such as below:

Led by Heilemann and CEO John Battelle, The Recount’s strategy is in an America mainlining politics and their smartphones right now The I-Word will be the first of a number of original series to come from the platform, sources say.

So, stay tuned political junkies.

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