Pingree Statement on Special Counsel Mueller's Testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees
Statement
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement regarding Special Counsel Mueller's testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees about his two-year investigation of Russian election interference:
"All of our intelligence agencies--from the CIA and FBI to the NSA--have reached the same conclusion as Special Counsel Mueller: Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in a sweeping and systematic fashion. It's crazy this even needs to be said, but any foreign attack on our nation should be handled seriously by our Commander in Chief. Yet, Mr. Mueller made clear that President Trump has not responded appropriately to this foreign attack--instead he has obstructed the Department of Justice's investigation.
"Today the Special Counsel testified that President Trump made multiple attempts to obstruct his investigation into foreign election interference, including lying to investigators. As a decorated former Marine and former director of the FBI under Republican and Democratic presidents, Mr. Mueller today emphasized the gravity of these obstruction findings and reiterated that his report does not exonerate President Trump of impeachable acts. He told the House Judiciary Committee, "obstruction of justice strikes at the core of the government's effort to find the truth and to hold wrongdoers accountable.' Mr. Mueller is absolutely right. Congress's constitutional role is to be a check on the Executive branch. These hearings were an important step to hold this Administration accountable for failing to mitigate foreign election interference."
"Every President of the United States swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It is indefensible that President Trump did not do everything in his power to help with the investigation into Russia's indisputable attack our democracy. It's for this reason that I have called for an official impeachment inquiry."
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