Democratic lawmakers Allege Trump of ‘Harassment’ Tactic as FBI Seeks Meetings
A collection of Democratic politicians branded by the president as involved in “seditious behavior” have claimed that the president is using the FBI against them as a “tool to intimidate and harass members of Congress.”
The group of four politicians, together with two others, had created a video urging American troops to disobey illegal commands – a message that provoked Trump, who posted on online platforms that the group were “disloyal citizens” and thus might face imprisonment or even face the death penalty.
A statement, issued by US representatives Jason Crow, the Pennsylvania representatives, and Maggie Goodlander, verified that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had reached out to the House and Senate sergeants at arms requesting interviews with them.
“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and upholding the Constitution,” they said, adding that they had each sworn an oath “to support and defend” the US constitution.
“That oath lasts a lifetime, and we plan to honor it. We refuse to be intimidated. We will not surrender our principles,” they continued.
The declaration deepens a dispute between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders, including the senator from Arizona and former astronaut Mark Kelly and the Michigan representative Representative Slotkin, over the video message, which urged the military and intelligence services members to “disregard unlawful commands.”
Slotkin said the FBI’s counter-terrorism division had informed the lawmakers that “they are opening what appears to be an investigation targeting the six individuals” and characterized the action as a “intimidation strategy” by Trump.
“To be honest, the leader’s response and the use of the FBI against us is precisely the reason we created the message,” she said.
“He believes in using the US government against his perceived adversaries, and he’s not afraid to use the government agencies against people he disagrees with. He fails to accept the law applies to him … which is exactly why we made the video, to offer reassurance that they had support as they watch this stuff unfold.”
The US Department of Defense has also said it is performing an examination of claims of improper behavior against Kelly that could, it indicated, lead to his return to military service to face court-martial proceedings.
