If, on the other hand, the president engages in actions that fall short of obstruction of justice, we might nonetheless have a misdemeanor within the meaning of the Constitution, depending on the substance of the investigation. If the FBI is investigating an act of presidential treason or bribery, themselves impeachable, then serious interference with the investigation could count as a misdemeanor. That conclusion holds whether or not the interference meets the technical standards for obstruction of justice.
