| Dear Katy, Donald Trump just fired another person investigating his ties to Russia. Following former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates' explosive and courageous Senate testimony on Monday, Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey yesterday.1 Now, Trump will be able to handpick someone to lead the Russia investigation. What is worse? Reports indicate that Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had to recuse himself from the investigation after lying under oath during his confirmation hearings, was behind the decision to fire Comey.2 There is no chance that the Trump administration will investigate itself. Democrats who have previously tiptoed around the investigation into Trump's ties to Russia are now calling for a special prosecutor in the wake of Comey's firing, but that is not enough.3 The American people deserve an honest attorney general and an impartial, objective, thorough and independent investigation into all credible allegations concerning the relationship between Donald Trump and the Russian government. Tell Congress: Demand that Jeff Sessions resigns and that his successor appoints a special prosecutor who can conduct a real, independent and thorough investigation of Trump's ties to Russia. Click here to sign the petition. It is clear that the Trump campaign, transition team and administration have had very questionable contact with the Russian government. It now also appears that Trump will fire anyone who investigates his ties to Russia. During Sessions' confirmation hearing, Sen. Al Franken asked him about the Trump campaign's communications with the Russian government. Sessions told Sen. Franken "I didn't have – did not have communication with the Russians." Sessions responded to a written question from Sen. Patrick Leahy asking whether he had "been in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day" with one word: "No."4 Sens. Franken and Leahy's questions were trying to address that clear threat to our democracy, and Sessions lied. Those lies destroy not only Sessions' credibility to investigate Trump's ties to Russia but his credibility to serve as attorney general at all. Under pressure, Sessions eventually recused himself "whenever it's appropriate" from any Department of Justice investigations of Russia. But despite that recusal, he meddled in the investigation further by recommending that Trump fire Comey – in the middle of the FBI investigation into Trump's ties to Russia.5 As threats to the legitimacy of his presidency mount, Trump will only try harder to cover up his ties to Russia. There must be a completely independent investigation by a special prosecutor, and that cannot happen until we get rid of Jeff Sessions. Democrats in Congress are already demanding this, but Republicans will choose party politics over our democracy unless we force them to act. Can you add your name now? Tell Congress: Demand that Jeff Sessions resigns and that his successor appoints a special prosecutor who can conduct a real, independent and thorough investigation of Trump's ties to Russia. Click here to sign the petition. Every time news breaks about Trump and Russia, congressional Republicans claim to care about an investigation but backtrack when the news dies down. They'll get away with it if we don't force them to act. The more people who add their names, the greater the pressure will be. Tell Congress: Demand that Jeff Sessions resigns and that his successor appoints a special prosecutor who can conduct a real, independent and thorough investigation of Trump's ties to Russia. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/sessions_resign?t=7&akid=23031.12967895.ufCU6R Heidi Hess, Senior Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: - Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller, "Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose," The Washington Post, March 1, 2017.
- CNN, "Trump's letter firing FBI Director James Comey," May 9, 2017
- Christine Wang, "Lawmakers call for independent Trump-Russia probe, question firing of FBI director," CNBC, May 9, 2017
- Matt Ford, "Jeff Sessions faces questions about his contacts with Russia," The Atlantic, March 1, 2017.
- The Rachel Maddow Show, "Trump fires Comey as investigations into Russia ties heat up," May 9, 2017
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