Demand an Independent Investigation of the Trump Administration's Collusion with Russia
Last edited Mon Feb 20, 2017, 06:48 PM - Edit history (1)
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon)
via Credo Mobilize
February 20, 2017
It's now clear that the Trump campaign, transition team, and administration have had very questionable contacts with the Russian government.
In particular, General Flynn's conversations with the Russian ambassador about the easing of U.S. sanctions on Russia may be a violation of criminal law and ethical standards.
The American people deserve to know the truth about what really happened and who was responsible.
As an early supporter and top advisor to the Trump campaign, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is too close to the situation to conduct the investigation the American people deserve.
Sessions must recuse himself and appoint a special prosecutor.
That's why I started my campaign on Credo Mobilize.com.
My petition, which is to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, says the following:
"The American people deserve an impartial, objective, comprehensive, thorough and independent investigation into all credible allegations concerning the relationships between Donald Trump and the Russian government.
Appoint a special prosecutor without delay."
Tell Attorney General Sessions: Appoint a special prosecutor without delay.
Click here to sign the petition:
http://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/demand-an-independent-investigation-of-the-trump-administration-s-collusion-with-russia
Repeated refusals by the White House to come clean with the American people make a fully independent investigation absolutely critical.
Sessions must recuse himself and appoint a special prosecutor ti investigate these critical questions:
- Did Michael Flynn break the law when he talked to the Russian Ambassador?
- Did the Trump campaign contact Russian intelligence services?
- What is the relationship between Trump's team and the Russian government?
- What did Stephen Bannon and Donald Trump know, and when did they know it?
There is also a strong likelihood that other members of President Trump's team were involved in similar conduct - and important questions remain unanswered about the role Trump campaign officials may have played in Vladimir Putin's efforts to help Donald Trump win the election.
To maintain the confidence, credibility, and integrity of the Department of Justice, we need a special prosecutor to conduct an impartial, objective, comprehensive and thorough investigation as soon as possible.
Thank you for your support.
Sen. Jeff Merkley
(NOTE: As of 5:45 PM (E.T.) today, more than 150,000 people have signed Sen. Merkley's petition)
= new reply since forum marked as read
In fact, the reports also say that they contacted Russians in government but outside of the intelligence services.
In other words, they contacted (a, b, c, d, e) but (a, b, c) were in intelligence. It suggests that intelligence services weren't targeted for contact. Or that they knew they were being monitored, that the information would come to light, and they could then point to what they regarded as useless contacts to provide a cover. That seems a bit much for even very bright operatives.
The advice I got when studying Russian in the '70s and '80s holds true: Assume any contact with any Russian, however innocuous, is contact with an intelligence operative. This was esp. true in the USSR, but also true for contacts in the US. So Kamkin Bookstore in Bethesda was considered to be a KGB gathering point even by us lowly undergrads. It makes it difficult, because a fair number of such contacts weren't with intelligence operatives.
So did I have contacts with Russian intelligence? Gee. Dunno. That's the thing about intelligence operatives, they don't wear flashing signs on their hats that say, "КГБ" or FSB.
This advice is no longer given. It's considered to show hostility in a sea of "resets" and "looking into Putin's soul" and trying to talk to our enemies and being certain that because this president isn't the last president things will be different if we don't antagonize Putin. The best exchange students are told is that if you're a minority or too openly American you should watch your step lest you be the target of a hate crime, possibly disguised as a simple robbery, but also possibly being beaten up for being black/brown/American.
The advice that any Russian might be intelligence is still true; at best it wasn't true in the late '90s and very early '00s, when the country was run less by the security forces busy trying to maintain order and unity internally and more by oligarchs and former communist-party bosses turned Russian mafia. Efforts otherwise only went into important contacts. The "diehard communist" I got drunk with in '94 wasn't intelligence, she was pissed off and open about her allegiances. After Putin consolidated power in One Russia ("Russia United," Edinaya Rossiya"
with FOPs in charge of industry and the FSB in charge of everything else (but Putin being the One Ringleader to bind them all) it was true again, in spades. Many late Soviet spies were muddle-headed opportunists after a stay in the West or bribes; many FSBites are nationalist zealots.
And yet, the advice wasn't even mentionable until it played to domestic politics. But it was as true during all kinds of nice friendship visits for the last 20 years as it is now.
