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News Friday, Mar 3 2017

Newspapers Across the Country Call for a Special Prosecutor to Investigate Trump’s Ties to Russia

Mar 03, 2017

Jeff Sessions recusal is not enough. Period. Newspapers across the country are calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Trump and his aides’ connections to Russian officials. Last week we learned the Trump’s campaign was in “constant communication” with Russian intelligence officials. This week we learned that Jeff Sessions met twice with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak as well as Carter Page, J.D Gordon and Jared Kushner.

The American people deserve transparency and impartiality. It is time for Republicans to put country ahead of party and join calls for a special prosecutor to lead this investigation.

The New York Times Editorial: Jeff Sessions Had No Choice
“Mr. Sessions’s recusal is only a first necessary step. The second must be the appointment of a special counsel — an independent, nonpartisan actor who can both investigate and prosecute any criminal acts in relation to Russian interference, whether by Mr. Sessions or anyone else. That’s the only way an investigation can have credibility with the public. Simply shifting investigative authority to one of Mr. Sessions’s deputies, who report to him on all other matters, would do nothing to cure the underlying conflict.”

The Washington Post Editorial: Sessions’s recusal can’t be the end of the story
“Beyond that, what is still needed is a broader investigation into Russia’s attempted interference in the election. If ongoing investigations by congressional intelligence committees are stymied by partisanship, an independent commission should be empaneled.”

USA Today Editorial
: Jeff Sessions’ evasions
“To find facts about the Russian role in the 2016 election, congressional leaders should name a select, Watergate-style committee of highly respected members from both parties and perhaps from both chambers. Any evidence of criminal wrongdoing would be referred to the Justice Department, where a high-ranking career official, not a political appointee, should appoint a special counsel, someone respected for integrity and independence.”

The Sacramento Bee Editorial: The Sessions bombshell proves need for real Russia investigation
“It’s becoming clearer by the day that to get to the bottom of Russian interference in the presidential election, we need a bipartisan select committee in Congress, plus a special prosecutor.”

The Chicago Sun Times Editorial: Bring on a special prosecutor to probe Russia scandal
“It is not enough that Jeff Sessions stepped aside Thursday. What matters now is that an independent special prosecutor is appointed, one above all partisanship, who is determined to chase down every lead into any and all secret dealings between Russia, Donald Trump and the Trump presidential campaign.”

The Tampa Bay Times Editorial: Sessions correctly recuses himself from election probe
“He wisely followed the advice of Justice Department lawyers and rejected the president’s opinion that he should not step aside. That should clear the way for an objective investigation either by a special prosecutor or an independent commission to get to the bottom of Russia’s interference in the presidential election.”

The Boston Herald Editorial: Recusal only a start
“There is now no getting around the need for a special prosecutor.”

The New Jersey Star Ledger Editorial: Now that Sessions is officially slippery, a special prosecutor must probe Trump-Russia ties
“The only fair appraisal of this smoldering heap of duplicity can be made by an independent prosecutor, and Republican leadership is just kidding itself if it believes it can delay the inevitable.”

The San Francisco Chronicle Editorial: Jeff Sessions just proved he can’t investigate Russian meddling
“Sessions is promising he won’t oversee an investigation of the Russia issue by his department. A better solution would be to remove the Justice Department entirely with a special prosecutor from the outside who could operate free of suspicion or control.”

The East Bay Times Editorial: Trump should support probe, Sessions right to recuse self
“An independent commission must be impaneled to investigate foreign attempts to subvert America’s political processes, and it must not become a partisan circus. Period. This matter is too important.”

The News and Observer Editorial: Sessions does the very least for Russian-connection probe
“Recusing himself from a government probe of possible Trump campaign connections to Russian hacking of emails involving Hillary Clinton is the least Attorney General Jeff Sessions can do. And that was the point of Sessions’ action Thursday, as more Republicans demanded it and Democrats started to go further, demanding Sessions’ resignation. What the Russian probe needs, of course, is an independent counsel.”

The Santa Cruz Sentinel Editorial: Why did Flynn and Sessions lie about Russian contacts?
“If indeed the meetings were perfunctory and unconnected to the possibility of a new American government taking power, why conceal them? Sen. Sessions would have been the first to call for an independent prosecutor.”


Published: Mar 3, 2017

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