The U.S. Department of Justice has been compromised as a political extension of President Trump.
The Senate acquittal gave Trump the green light to use the U.S. Department of Justice for his own personal and political gain. Republicans have proven over and over they will stand aside and do nothing while this dangerous, undermining behavior continues.
Last November, known Trump ally and political consultant Roger Stone was convicted on seven felony counts of obstruction of justice, lying to Congress and witness tampering.
Last week, we saw the entire prosecuting team resign from Roger Stone's case after the Department of Justice intervened in Stone's sentencing. Within 24 hours of another infamous Trump tweet complaining how "horrible and very unfair" Stone's initial sentencing recommendation was filed, a senior Justice Department official said the Justice Department's leadership believed the recommended sentence was “extreme, excessive, and grossly disproportionate.”
This week, more than 2,000 former Justice Department officials from both sides of the aisle, including courageous constituents from my own district in Connecticut, wrote a letter calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign, saying:
"Mr. Barr's actions in doing the President's personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words. Those actions, and the damage they have done to the Department of Justice's reputation for integrity and the rule of law, require Mr. Barr to resign."
The White House is interfering at the Justice Department.
This is an assault on the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice and Attorney General Barr is complicit.
Trump is using Barr as his own personal henchman and personal attorney. This is cause for a four-alarm fire. Republicans should find their courage and integrity and stand against this.
I stand with my colleagues in Congress in agreement that Attorney General Barr must appear before the House Judiciary Committee, as he has agreed to do on March 31, and testify about his compromised leadership and about the President's improper influence over the Justice Department.
A President who intervenes in our justice system to assist his own allies and influence sentencings, while punishing patriots Lt. Col. Vindman, is a danger to our democracy and our very foundation as a country.
This cannot stand and we will get to the bottom of this.
