As revelations surface that the Donald Trump campaign was in contact with Russian intelligence officials as they were hacking Democratic institutions, pressure is building on Senate Republicans for an independent investigation.
Here are the facts: phone records and intercepted calls confirm that members of Trump’s campaign were in “constant communication” with Russian intelligence officials during the 2016 election; former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn lied about discussing lifting sanctions with the Russian ambassador; and Trump was informed by the DOJ that Russians may have compromised Flynn, but kept Vice President Mike Pence in the dark and continued to give Flynn access to classified and highly sensitive documents.
Senate Republicans’ knee-jerk partisan defense of the national security crisis in the White House is shameful, and puts our country’s safety at risk. It’s clear an independent investigation into Trump’s dangerous ties to Russia must begin now.
What will it take before Senate Republicans put country first? Let’s roll the tape…
- Trump’s aides and associates had frequent contact with Russian intelligence officials, transcripts and recordings reveal — proving that Trump and his team have been routinely lying about contacts with Russia.
- The Justice Department warned the White House that Michael Flynn was lying to them and his phone calls to the Russians could make him vulnerable to blackmail. Trump took no action for three weeks.
- Russia secretly tested a new cruise missile in violation of the arms control treaty that helped seal the end of the Cold War. Trump has done nothing.
- US investigators have corroborated parts of the Russia dossier compiled by a former British intelligence agent.
- On the phone with Putin, Trump denounced a nuclear arms treaty that limits Russian deployment of nuclear weapons.
- Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly asked Trump why he defends Putin, who he called “a killer.” Trump defended Putin and insulted Americans, saying, “There’s a lot of killers here too.”
- The intelligence community believes that Russia’s spy and propaganda agencies worked to help elect Trump.
… and that’s just in the last 30 days. Senate Republicans’ response? Weak words and platitudes. Not one call for a non-partisan independent investigation to begin immediately. The American people deserve better.
Published: Feb 15, 2017