Bipartisan Former Ethics Czars Endorse Bills to Protect Special Counsel from Political Interference

Press Release

Dear Senator,

We are writing to urge you to support the bipartisan efforts in the Senate to protect against the firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the investigation he is leading into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

On August 3, 2017, Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced bipartisan legislation (S.1735) that would require approval from a federal three-judge panel before a special counsel could be dismissed.

On the same day, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced bipartisan legislation (S.1741) to allow a special counsel who was fired without cause to seek review and possible reinstatement from a panel of three federal judges.

While President Trump recently said he hadn't given any thought to firing Special Counsel Mueller, the statement contradicted earlier statements made by people close to Trump that he was considering firing Mueller.

President Trump has called the Mueller investigation a "witch hunt" and has already fired FBI Director James Comey in order to get rid of the "great pressure" of the Russian investigation.

In the past, numerous Republican Senators and Representatives have expressed their opposition to President Donald Trump firing Special Counsel Mueller, and their support of Mr. Mueller as Special Counsel. This included statements of support from House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell.

The introductions of Graham-Booker and Tillis-Coons bills are congressional responses to the need to ensure that Mr. Mueller and the Special Counsel office are allowed to complete its work without any outside interference.

We strongly urge you to show your opposition to firing Special Counsel Mueller by endorsing one or both of the pending Senate bills that provide protection for Mr. Mueller from being removed as Special Counsel without basis for doing so.

Sincerely,

Richard Painter, former Ethics Czar for George W. Bush

Norm Eisen, former Ethics Czar for Barack Obama

Kathleen H. Hicks, former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

Moira Whelan, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

Michael Fuchs, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

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