Watchdog Groups Call for Prompt Passage of Legislation to Protect Mueller, Warn that Firing Rosenstein Crosses a Red Line
Watchdog Groups Call for Prompt Passage of Legislation to Protect Mueller, Warn that Firing Rosenstein Crosses a Red Line
In a letter sent to members of Congress, 16 watchdog groups and experts expressed deep concerns about President Trump’s attacks on Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the Mueller investigation. (See below for a full list of groups signing the letter.)
The letter called on Members to support and press for swift passage of legislation introduced in the Senate (S.2644) and the House (H.R.5476) that would codify existing Department of Justice regulations to ensure that the Special Counsel can only be fired for good cause by a senior Justice Department official.
The legislation would also provide the Special Counsel with expedited judicial review if removed to determine whether the firing was for good cause, and prevent the removal if the court finds it was not for good cause.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on April 26, 2018 on the bipartisan Senate bill, sponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
According to the letter:
The removal of either Special Counsel Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, or any other step taken by President Trump to shut down or take control of the Special Counsel investigation, will cross a red line. This will result in an immediate national firestorm of citizen protests, and will also demand immediate response from Congress.
If Mueller is fired, the most immediate priority is to preserve the Special Counsel files, protect the staff, and insist on a new Special Counsel being promptly appointed. If Rosenstein is fired, whoever replaces Rosenstein to supervise Mueller must be required to guarantee that he or she will protect and ensure the special counsel’s independence.
The letter stated:
President Trump’s crossing of any one of the red lines would obstruct justice, abuse his power and attack the rule of law.
The House must be prepared to immediately begin bipartisan hearings on obstruction of justice and abuse of power by President Trump.
The Senate must be prepared to immediately create a modern-day version of the bipartisan Senate Select Watergate Committee to investigate all matters surrounding the Russia scandals and President Trump’s obstruction of justice and abuse of power.
We would be past the time where individual Senate committees with limited jurisdictions could effectively conduct the broad-ranging investigation that would be necessary.
The letter stated:
President Trump has attacked every aspect of the nation’s law enforcement system – the Special Counsel, the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, the FBI Director, the Justice Department and the FBI. The President seems to think that their role is to serve and protect him, when in fact their role is to serve and protect the country.
The letter concluded:
President Trump has repeatedly shown his utter disdain for the rule of law and for our constitutional system of checks and balances.
Congress must act immediately to protect the independent Special Counsel investigation if the President fires Special Counsel Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein.
Congress must ensure that we remain a government of laws, not of men.
Signers to the letter include:
American Oversight
Common Cause
CREW
Defending Democracy
Democracy 21
Demos
Equal Justice Society
Every Voice
Justin Hendrix, March for Truth
Norman Eisen, chief White House ethics lawyer, 2009-2011
People For the American Way
Protect Democracy
Public Citizen
Revolving Door Project
Sunlight Foundation
Truman Project
