Dozens of Republicans have signed a statement blasting President Donald Trump for using the Department of Justice to launch his own personal revenge campaigns.
The statement—which was signed by nearly 40 people who have held key roles in law, government, and national security—accused the president of “abuses of power” for demanding that the DOJ prosecute his perceived enemies.
“No president should order the investigation or prosecution of specific individuals against whom he bears personal grievances, especially not when advised by Justice Department attorneys that the facts and the law do not support such a case,” said the statement, which was first shared with Axios.
The “politicization and weaponization” of law enforcement poses a “mortal danger” to core American values, including “fair play, equal protection of the laws, the right to a fair trial, and the freedom to speak our minds without fear of government persecution,” the statement continued.
Among the signatories were former Republican governors, congressional representatives, ambassadors, and deputy attorneys general. Notably absent were any sitting Republican officials.
The statement did not name any specific prosecutions, but seemed to especially reference charges against former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted on suspicion of lying to Congress, and a DOJ investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan—a 36-year-old insurance attorney and Trump loyalist with no prosecutorial experience before being named to head one of the country’s most important U.S. Attorney’s offices—brought the case against Comey even after her predecessor Erik Siebert warned that the charges wouldn’t hold up.
Trump forced Siebert to resign after the veteran prosecutor refused to charge James with mortgage fraud, citing a lack of evidence.
Halligan has nevertheless vowed to continue investigating James and has pushed ahead with the Comey indictment, despite members of her staff refusing to be involved in the case. Trump has also demanded that the DOJ target Sen. Adam Schiff for alleged mortgage fraud.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
The president has long claimed that he was the original victim of government “weaponization” after he was the subject of numerous investigations and prosecutions.
James successfully sued the Trump Organization for fraud last year and is leading multiple lawsuits challenging the president’s policies.
His feud with Schiff and Comey stems from the “Russia, Russia, Russia” investigation, in which the two men played central roles in investigating foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election.
In their statement, the Republican leaders wrote that, “Whenever one believes politicization of justice started, there’s no question that it has entered a new and disturbing chapter.”
“These abuses of power threaten the safety and rights of every American, as well as the stability of our economy,” the statement said. “Democrats, Republicans, and independents all lose when the sword of the government is wielded arbitrarily against its own people.”
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