Shaheen Statement on President's Decision to Declassify Partisan FBI Memo

(Washington, DC)—U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee which oversees funding for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), issued the following statement after President Trump announced he will declassify a partisan memo aimed at undermining Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, despite objections by the Department of Justice and the FBI:

“The men and women of the FBI put their lives on the line every day to protect the American people from criminals, terrorists and foreign agents,” said Shaheen. “Releasing this memo is part of a coordinated partisan effort to destroy the credibility of the agency and to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The President’s decision, made in cooperation with partisans in Congress, is a dangerous attack on our justice system and the rule of law. Patriotic Republicans and Democrats have a duty to unite and defend the independence of the Justice Department and the FBI and to ensure that Special Counsel Mueller be allowed to complete his investigation without political interference.”