House Judiciary Democrats Hold Press Conference on Threats to Special Counsel Investigation After Trump Attacks on Special Counsel Mueller & Justice Department

Press Conference

"Good morning. As we have all seen, President Trump has spent the last few days launching an all-out assault on Special Counsel Mueller and his investigation--saying things like "the Mueller probe should never have been started," that it is a "total witch hunt," and that Mueller's team is stacked with Democrats.

"Let us set aside for a moment that so much of what the President says is simply factually incorrect. These tantrums are more than merely the online musings of a passionate viewer of Fox News.

"These statements are threats from the President of the United States against our rule of law. They specifically target Special Counsel Robert Mueller--who is charged with investigating allegations of serious crimes against the United States, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States government in an attempt to influence the 2016 election.

"That is why I am standing here with my Democratic colleagues from the House Judiciary Committee to deliver a united message to President Trump: Do not meddle with the Special Counsel investigation. We expect--and the rule of law demands--that the Special Counsel be permitted to complete his investigation, wherever it may lead, free from political interference, and that the facts be presented for public review so that the American people can know the full truth.

"Let me be clear: this warning is about more than a threat to fire Robert Mueller.

We must also be concerned that the President may fire Attorney General Sessions and replace him with a lackey who will constrain the Special Counsel in all sorts of ways from the inside that the public may never see.

"Remember that the Special Counsel operates under the supervision of the Attorney General. Since Mr. Sessions is recused, that responsibility today falls to the Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, who by all accounts, has supervised the Mueller investigation in a fair and evenhanded manner, and has given Mr. Mueller all the resources and discretion he needs to do his job effectively.

"But if Sessions were to be fired and a new Attorney General, who is not recused, appointed, the new AG, who is totally beholden to President Trump, would take control of the investigation. The new Attorney General could throttle the investigation by shrinking Mueller's resources or by shutting down entire lines of inquiry--and the public would be entirely in the dark. In many ways, this behind the scenes dismantling of the investigation could be even more dangerous than directly firing Mueller.

"Whatever you may think of the Attorney General--and my colleagues and I could certainly give you an earful--the American people must understand what is at stake if the President were to fire Sessions, or if he pushed him to resign. It could signal the end of an independent investigation, and we cannot let that happen.

"In the face of the President's constant attacks on the leadership of the Department of Justice, some of my colleagues in the Majority have had the courage to stand up and tell President Trump that he is wrong. I commend Republicans like Senator McCain, Senator Flake, and Senator Graham, who have found the conviction to defend our traditions and the institutions that make our country great. And I know plenty of Republican House Members who share these concerns, who are committed to the rule of law, and who are worried by the President's actions. I urge them to follow the example of Senators McCain, Graham and Flake and to speak out.

"Where, however, is the Republican Leadership? Why does Speaker Ryan take days to make tepid statements in general support of the Mueller investigation? Why does the Majority refuse to take action to protect the Special Counsel from a President who clearly wants him gone? Why would they not agree to a bipartisan amendment to the Omnibus to make it all but impossible to remove a special counsel without cause?

"My colleagues here have the courage to do what Republican leadership will not. Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you. If you shut down or throttle the Mueller investigation, by firing either Sessions, Rosenstein, or Mueller, you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis.

"I am proud to be joined by my Democratic colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, and I would like to turn to them now for a few words."

Rep. Luis Gutierrez: "I will sleep with my cellphone next to my ear and if the word comes down that Donald Trump is taking out Sessions, taking out Mueller, taking other actions to undermine the rule of law and obstruct justice, I will be on the first plane to Washington."

Rep. Ted Deutch: "This is not a drill. This is a test of our institutions and the people who serve them. We cannot sit by while the President of the United States corrupts the power of his office in order to hide the truth."

Rep. Pramila Jayapal: "Firing Mueller is a red line, full stop. His investigation of interference in our elections is critical to our democracy. Any attempt by this president or his henchmen to remove Mueller or impede this investigation must be stopped. Now is the time for Republicans to stand up and be counted, and for all Americans to oppose the naked abuse of power by an unhinged man who is utterly unfit for office."

Rep. Jamie Raskin: "We're in the fight of our lives in 2018 and the rule of law is at the center of all the controversy," said Representative Jamie Raskin, a freshman from Maryland who is a constitutional law scholar. "The position is central to our ability to stand up for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights."

Rep. Brad Schneider: "We can't effectively protect our future elections if we don't understand the full extent of Russia's meddling in our past elections, and hold those responsible to account. That's why Special Counsel Mueller's investigation must continue unhindered to completion."

Rep. Val Demings: "I am disappointed in my Republican colleagues. Why are they not part of the effort to protect the investigation? Every person who says that they love our country should want to protect the investigation. If a local police department or a local police detective was conducting an investigation and suddenly that investigation was disrupted for political reasons, we would never tolerate that. We appeal to the American people to help us to protect the Special Counsel and allow the truth to come out."


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