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Jason's Thoughts on the Special Investigation
In response to the letter I sent out on June 17, I received the following. While this is clearly a boilerplate response to the Russia investigation which doesn't address my point directly, you at least have to give the congressman points for promptness.
A Nation of Laws, Not Men
Congressman Lewis,
I am greatly concerned, as I'm sure you are as well, about reports that President Trump might fire special investigator Robert Mueller, for no reason other than the fact that he does not want to be investigated.
As an ordinary citizen, I of course have no special knowledge of evidence in possession of either Mr. Mueller or the FBI regarding any of the criminal acts which may have been committed either by Mr. Trump or those who were part of his campaign. What I do know from the news media, however, is most concerning.
We know that Trump's former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, lied about his contacts with the Russian and Turkish governments. It seems likely that his wrongdoing extends deeper than is publicly known, and for this reason, Trump's decision to fire FBI directory James Comey in an effort to shut down the FBI investigation into Flynn appears to be a clear-cut instance of obstruction of justice.
Of course, we now know that Comey and the FBI weren't just investigating Flynn. They are also investigating Mr. Trump's son-in-law and close adviser Jared Kushner, also for previously unknown contacts with Russian agents. They are also investigating Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, for having close ties to two Russian oligarchs, as well as to Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich, and numerous other shady doings. There is also Carter Page, foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, and no doubt other names which have not yet been reported by the media.
Given that 17 U.S. intelligence agencies agree that the Russian government made a targeted effort to swing the presidential election in Trump's favor, there is no question that these multiple individuals with ties to both the Russian government and the Trump campaign deserve closer investigation. Obviously the FBI agrees, as its investigation is ongoing. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein agrees, and appointed Robert Mueller as a special investigator for this purpose. And clearly both houses of Congress agree, as four different congressional committees investigate Russian influence in the 2016 election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign.
While we can't know for certain the degree to which Trump was complicit with Russian interference in the election --- if he was at all --- we do know that his efforts to shut down these investigations are not the actions of an innocent man. Moreover, all of his behavior for the past year --- hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, his reluctant support for NATO, his refusal to relase his tax returns --- further suggest that he is working to benefit Russian interests, and that he has something to hide.
And whether he does or not, his decision to fire James Comey in an effort to shut down the FBI investigation clearly indicates that Trump believes that he is above the law. If Trump were to follow this up by firing Mueller (or orchestrating his firing, for example by ordering Rod Rosenstein to fire him), it would definitively show that he is willing to repeatedly and unflinchingly abuse his authority to protect both himself and his campaign from accountability. Should that happen, there would be only one prosecutorial body left over which the president has no formal control, and that body, of course, is Congress.
Congressman, I write to you today to urge you to publicly proclaim that if the president abuses his authority a second time by firing Robert Mueller, that you will do everything in your power to see to it that the House of Representatives initiates impeachment proceedings. Partisan politics aside, our democracy cannot tolerate or withstand such blatant abuse of power, and it is your sworn duty as a member of Congress to act as a check on such an abuse. Please let the public and the president know that you will not hesitate to do your duty if these abuses continue.
I am greatly concerned, as I'm sure you are as well, about reports that President Trump might fire special investigator Robert Mueller, for no reason other than the fact that he does not want to be investigated.
As an ordinary citizen, I of course have no special knowledge of evidence in possession of either Mr. Mueller or the FBI regarding any of the criminal acts which may have been committed either by Mr. Trump or those who were part of his campaign. What I do know from the news media, however, is most concerning.
We know that Trump's former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, lied about his contacts with the Russian and Turkish governments. It seems likely that his wrongdoing extends deeper than is publicly known, and for this reason, Trump's decision to fire FBI directory James Comey in an effort to shut down the FBI investigation into Flynn appears to be a clear-cut instance of obstruction of justice.
Of course, we now know that Comey and the FBI weren't just investigating Flynn. They are also investigating Mr. Trump's son-in-law and close adviser Jared Kushner, also for previously unknown contacts with Russian agents. They are also investigating Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, for having close ties to two Russian oligarchs, as well as to Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovich, and numerous other shady doings. There is also Carter Page, foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, and no doubt other names which have not yet been reported by the media.
Given that 17 U.S. intelligence agencies agree that the Russian government made a targeted effort to swing the presidential election in Trump's favor, there is no question that these multiple individuals with ties to both the Russian government and the Trump campaign deserve closer investigation. Obviously the FBI agrees, as its investigation is ongoing. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein agrees, and appointed Robert Mueller as a special investigator for this purpose. And clearly both houses of Congress agree, as four different congressional committees investigate Russian influence in the 2016 election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign.
While we can't know for certain the degree to which Trump was complicit with Russian interference in the election --- if he was at all --- we do know that his efforts to shut down these investigations are not the actions of an innocent man. Moreover, all of his behavior for the past year --- hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, his reluctant support for NATO, his refusal to relase his tax returns --- further suggest that he is working to benefit Russian interests, and that he has something to hide.
And whether he does or not, his decision to fire James Comey in an effort to shut down the FBI investigation clearly indicates that Trump believes that he is above the law. If Trump were to follow this up by firing Mueller (or orchestrating his firing, for example by ordering Rod Rosenstein to fire him), it would definitively show that he is willing to repeatedly and unflinchingly abuse his authority to protect both himself and his campaign from accountability. Should that happen, there would be only one prosecutorial body left over which the president has no formal control, and that body, of course, is Congress.
Congressman, I write to you today to urge you to publicly proclaim that if the president abuses his authority a second time by firing Robert Mueller, that you will do everything in your power to see to it that the House of Representatives initiates impeachment proceedings. Partisan politics aside, our democracy cannot tolerate or withstand such blatant abuse of power, and it is your sworn duty as a member of Congress to act as a check on such an abuse. Please let the public and the president know that you will not hesitate to do your duty if these abuses continue.
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