Protect Democracy & Many Others Tell Senate: No FBI Confirmation without Trump Pledges on Special Prosecutor

Protect Democracy, joined by nine organizations representing millions of Americans, wrote this morning to Senate Leadership explaining why it is “untenable” to confirm any new FBI Director without firm assurances from Trump himself that he will not move to terminate the Special Counsel investigation of Russian interference in our election.

In addition, the letter calls for a requirement that the White House ensure FBI independence by releasing a comprehensive policy on White House contacts to the FBI and federal agencies, and a firm pledge to enforce it.  Via previously undisclosed documents obtained from a FOIA request, it is known that the White House was nearing completion of such a policy more than a month ago, and yet it has not been announced. The White House has not yet issued a contacts policy to police against its political interference with federal agency work, as decades of prior bipartisan administrations have done.

The letter responds to extremely alarming statements from President Trump that he believes the FBI Director should report directly to him, and press reports suggesting his attacks on his own Attorney General are part of a plan to terminate the Special Counsel’s investigation. The letter was signed by American Oversight, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, Common Cause, Daily Kos, Indivisible, MoveOn.org, Protect Democracy, Public Citizen, Revolving Door Project, and UltraViolet.

Read the letter.

Read the attachment.

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