Shaheen Renews Call for Interpreter to Be Made Available to Congress After Reports Emerge that Trump Seized & Concealed Interpreter’s Notes From Meetings with Putin

**Shaheen Has Spearheaded Efforts in Congress to Obtain Helsinki Interpreter’s Notes & Relevant Documents from Trump-Putin Summit**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, issued the following statement in response to reports that President Trump has seized notes from his interpreter that detail conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to access information regarding President Trump’s private meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in July 2018. Shaheen called for a Congressional hearing with President Trump’s interpreter, questioned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the meeting during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, and formally requested Secretary Pompeo to provide the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with relevant documents and the interpreter’s notes from the Trump-Putin summit. To date, these requests have not been agreed to by the Trump administration. 

“Congress and the American people remain woefully in the dark about the President’s interactions with one of the United States’ greatest adversaries. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly sought to harm U.S. military and diplomatic personnel in Russia, Syria and elsewhere; he has taken great strides to disrupt our democratic tradition; and he continues to sow chaos throughout the transatlantic community. Congress must do everything it can to compel the one person from the Helsinki summit who has information on the President’s commitments to Vladimir Putin to share what was discussed,” said Shaheen. “The interpreter for the President’s meeting in Helsinki, as well as interpreters for his other interactions with Putin, should finally be interviewed by Congress in a closed door setting.” 

Shaheen has led efforts to hold Russia accountable for its election interference, and was the first legislator to call for hearings into their meddling. Because of her role as a negotiator on Russia sanctions legislation known as “CAATSA” and her efforts to hold Russia responsible for its aggression, Shaheen was sanctioned by the Kremlin in 2017.