Should Roberts be impeached for muzzling Kentucky senator?

Chief Justice John G. Roberts

sparked a severe constitutional problem yesterday by refusing to read aloud a question posed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., during the trial of President Trump. Though Paul asked about a National Security Council aide, Eric Ciaramella, the senator did not identify Ciaramella as the "whistleblower," whose complaint sparked the impeachment proceedings. Hence Roberts had no lawful reason to muzzle a member of the Senate.

Even had Paul identified Ciaramella as the whistleblower, the justice still had no lawful reason to muzzle Paul, since Paul is not forbidden by any law to mention any particular name and also because Paul has constitutional protection for anything he says on the Senate floor. It was a grotesque violation of separation of powers for Roberts to make such a decision, as well as an affront to the right of voters of the state of Kentucky to hear the answer demanded by their senator.

The behavior of Roberts in censoring a U.S. senator is so outlandish that a strong case can be made that impeachment proceedings should be opened against the chief justice, who was appointed by President George Bush.

At the very least, the Senate should protect senatorial prerogatives by voting to censure Roberts for blocking a senator's valid and proper exercise of free speech.

Here are Paul's tweets on the subject:

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tweeted after Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read his question at the Senate trial of President Trump that his question never named any "whistleblower."

Tweet 1

My exact question was: Are you aware that House intelligence committee staffer Shawn Misko had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together

Tweet 2

and are you aware and how do you respond to reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the President before there were formal house impeachment proceedings.

Tweet 3

My question is not about a “whistleblower” as I have no independent information on his identity. My question is about the actions of known Obama partisans within the NSC and House staff and how they are reported to have conspired before impeachment proceedings had even begun.

Tweet 4

If nobody knows the name of the whistle-blower, how can Roberts refuse to read the question?