REP LIEU DEMANDS SPEAKER RYAN OUTLINE HIS PLAN SHOULD TRUMP FIRE SPECIAL COUNSEL MUELLER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington - Yesterday, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) joined Reps. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Brendan Boyle (PA-13), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14) in calling on House Speaker Paul Ryan to publicly support Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and outline what actions he would take if President Trump fires Mueller. In a letter to the Speaker, the Members expressed genuine concern that, because the President fired FBI Director James Comey, he may similarly attempt to interfere with the independent investigation by firing Mueller.

In the letter, the Members write:

• In light of Manafort's indictment and a June 14th report in the Washington Post that President Trump is personally under investigation for obstruction of justice by Mueller's office, we fear that he may once again seek to obstruct an investigation into his campaign by firing its leader. Already, the Administration has attempted to discredit the work of Mueller and his expert legal team, variously describing the investigation as a "fishing expedition," a "witch hunt," and a "hoax," in addition to questioning its costs.

• We strongly believe that firing the Special Counsel would represent a brazen attempt by the President to shield himself and his associates from the legal consequences of the Mueller investigation. It would also provide yet more convincing evidence that his campaign was guilty of illegally coordinating with a foreign power in order to influence the results of a presidential election. We therefore urge you to put partisan politics aside and issue a statement expressing your support for Mueller and clarifying what actions you will take in the event that he is dismissed or his investigation is disrupted.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER HERE