Bolton Bombshell Requires Public Testimony

I’ve previously argued that the American people deserve a thorough and transparent senate trial. Such a trial requires that senators and the public hear testimony from former National Security Advisor John Bolton, Interim Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and others as well as the opportunity to review documents pertaining to the illegal withholding of military aid funds approved by congress. Bolton and Mulvaney among others are first-person witnesses to the words and actions of Donald Trump and therefore have direct knowledge pertinent to the trial. That should have been more than enough reason, but now that the New York Times has reported John Bolton wrote in his proposed book that Trump specifically told him that the funds were being withheld until Ukraine announced an investigation into Joe Biden and his son. Even those who still believe Trump should demand that Bolton publicly testify under oath so that we all have the opportunity to evaluate Bolton’s credibility.

Senator Cornyn voted 11 times on January 21st and 22nd to block first-hand witnesses from testifying and to prevent relevant evidence from being included. Voting against witnesses and evidence is like covering one’s ears and eyes to block out the truth.

Just over 45 years ago Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency when Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott, Senator Barry Goldwater, and House Minority Leader John Jacob Rhodes met with him to inform him of failing support among Republicans in congress. Rhodes told Nixon he faced certain impeachment in the House. Scott and Goldwater told the president that he had 15 votes or less in his favor in the Senate, less than half the 34 needed to avoid removal from office. Those members of congress were no less partisan than those in congress today, but they did respond to pressure from the public.

With the current partisan split in the Senate it’s going to take 4 Republican senators to vote with Democrats in order to allow the public to hear that testimony. It’s going to take public pressure on Republicans to make that happen. There are several Republicans whose names are being bandied about as candidates for those 4 votes including Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine because of their perceived moderate positions or election vulnerability. While John Cornyn of Texas isn’t on the media list and unlike those who have been named he hasn’t made any public statements indicating any possible support for calling witnesses he is up for re-election and Democrats here have already shown the state is competitive which makes him vulnerable to public opinion.

This is much bigger than just President Trump. Preventing witnesses, evidence, and transparency in President Trump’s impeachment trial sets a dangerous precedent and potentially undermines the Constitution for generations. While impeachment might just seem like some abstract exercise, this process could affect Texans for years to come. It might be a Republican ignoring the Constitution this time, but it could just as easily be a Democratic president at some point in the future. 

Republicans and Democrats must put country over party to allow evidence and critical first-hand witnesses as part of the impeachment trial. Only public participation can keep our political process on track and that means you, your family and your neighbors need to take part. All it takes is a simple two minute phone call to Senator Cornyn’s office, (202) 224-2934. Just leave a message with your name, zip code and the fact that you want to hear what John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney have to say in public and while under oath.

Honesty and Transparency Demand Witnesses

I think it’s fair to say that most Americans believe that no one should be above the law and the overwhelming majority of us think justice is best served by a fair trial. It is generally accepted that a fair trial requires the ability of both sides to call witnesses and that evidence be presented such as documents that may be in the hands of the person on trial. That standard we held to in the Senate trial of President Bill Clinton and should apply to the Senate trial of President Donald J. Trump.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, aided and abetted by his second in command our own Senator John Cornyn, has made it clear that he wants to avoid hearing from witnesses and the presentation of documents. Since Trump withheld thousands of documents requested by the House impeachment inquiry team and instructed White House staff to ignore subpoenas the trial in the Senate is last chance the American people will get to find out all the details regarding the administration withholding congressionally approved funds for the defense of Ukraine.

In their efforts to provide cover for Trump, Republicans have claimed that all the witnesses in the impeachment inquiry were second and third hand witnesses. Now that the Senate is about to take up the case all indications so far are that will turn their backs on the opportunity to call first hand witnesses like former National Security Advisor John Bolton and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney among others. Sunday morning on Face the Nation Senator Cornyn was asked directly about this and he just dodged the issue claiming that the House shouldn’t have voted to impeach without all the necessary evidence. Cornyn’s claim relates directly to one of the articles of impeachment, abuse of power, since Trump refused to produce the documents and demanded that administration members not testify. Senator Cornyn’s circular argument shows the blatant dishonesty congressional Republicans have indulged in for months isn’t going to stop anytime soon.

Last week Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered an oath to all 100 senators which says in part "that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help me God." Given that Mitch McConnell stated weeks ago that he is coordinating with Trump on how the Senate will handle the trial it’s hard to imagine him acting impartially when it comes time to vote.

The American people deserve honesty from their elected officials that means a thorough hearing of all the evidence including that which has previously been withheld and the testimony of administration witnesses that have so far refused to testify anything less is a cover-up and we shouldn’t stand for that. It’s going to take our senators to vote for both of them and which means it’s going to take you to demand it of them. Call our senators this week and tell them you expect to hear John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney and others testify in the senate trial. Senator Cornyn’s office number is (202) 224-2934, Senator Cruz’s office number is (202) 224-5922.

Trump Deepens the Swamp

As if it isn’t enough that within the lifetime of many here today rising temperatures and sea levels will change Texas dramatically now the Trump administration seeks to roll back fuel mileage requirements set to go into effect in the next couple of years. The roll back that Trump appointee Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is pushing will just make matters worse for our children and grandchildren. Pruitt is the former Attorney General of Oklahoma who made a name for himself as the go to guy for oil and gas companies that wanted official help in suing the federal government to relax pollution standards so they could increase profits. Pruitt acted like a lobbyist and put their model letters on official Oklahoma government stationary then signed them in his official capacity as the state’s Attorney General in attempts to effect federal regulatory efforts.

Pruitt sued the Environmental Protection Agency at least 14 times while in office and most of those cases are still in the courts. Unfortunately for our children and grand-children Trump put him in charge of the agency he spent so much times suing and is now using that office to make those lawsuits moot by rolling back the regulations he once sued over. While he’s doing that he’s also making trips around the world on the taxpayers dime to sightsee in places like Rome and Morocco with his own 20 person body guard detail.

Pruitt is now under eleven different investigations for a wide range of financial misdeeds such as having a $43,000 sound proof phone booth built into his office in violation of regulations on how much people in his position are allowed to spend on office renovations. Then there is the investigations into him giving out raises to staffers who were ineligible for them by improperly using funding that belonged to other projects and his lavish travel spending on private planes and use of military aircraft. On top of all that his million dollar 20 member personal body guard detail and questionable security measures which are also under investigation for out of budget spending is all predicated on purported threats of violence but records released through Freedom of Information Act requests show that there were only cases, one of which is someone drew a mustache on a picture of him and another was a threat of violence by a man who has been in prison for years and will continue to be so for years to come.

Pruitt is a lot like Mick Mulvaney, currently director of the Office of Management and Budget, who openly admitted to only listening to those who donated to his campaign. Both continue to serve their corporate and billionaire masters.

While never a Trump appointee long time fixer Michael Cohen seems to be drowning in investigations into sketchy dealing as well. Last week we learned that he’s been billed for back taxes to the tune of $280,000 on his taxi businesses. Earlier this week it was revealed that he’s been collected millions of dollars from the likes of AT&T and drug giant Novartis. That’s on top of the questionable payments from Trump for arranging hush money to porn stars and Playboy playmates.

Candidate Trump claimed he’d be different but when he told Americans he would drain the swamp either he lied or he meant some other swamp.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - May 11, 2018