On Senate Floor, Shaheen Rebukes Partisan Attacks on the Integrity of DOJ, FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller
**SHAHEEN: “These attacks are part of a broader campaign, orchestrated by the White House, to undermine the investigations into Russia’s interference in the 2016 campaign... This effort has profound national security implications for the United States”
**SHAHEEN: “These partisan attacks are baseless and reckless. They are undermining trust and confidence in the rule of law. And this must not be tolerated.”
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, (D-NH) spoke on the Senate floor to rebuke the partisan attacks on the integrity of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. As the lead Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Shaheen has the responsibility to ensure the DOJ and FBI have the resources they need to do their jobs. Shaheen is also a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and has actively called for a unified response to the Kremlin in the wake of their 2016 attack against the U.S. elections and was recently sanctioned by the Kremlin for her work to counter Russian aggression. Shaheen expressed her concerns that many Republicans have attempted to discredit the career employees of the DOJ, FBI and Special Counsel Mueller and will undermine the American people’s faith in these institutions and hurt our democracy.
During her remarks, Shaheen warned that efforts to discredit our federal institutions and the Russia investigations have profound national security implications, noting, “Our law enforcement agencies and a special counsel are working diligently to uncover the scope and methods of that intervention so we can prevent a recurrence in the future. Supporting these efforts isn’t about party or partisanship. It’s about patriotism and defending America’s democracy, which has been attacked and continues to be vulnerable to attack.”
Shaheen urged her colleagues to put country over politics saying, “Our democracy is being tested. Our law enforcement agencies are being tested. And we as Senators are being tested. Our responsibility is clear, we have a duty to come together, Senators of both parties, to defend the independence of the Justice Department and the FBI. And we must insist that Special Counsel Mueller be allowed to conduct and complete his investigation without political interference.”
