Democratic lawmakers Allege Trump of ‘Harassment’ Tactic as FBI Seeks Meetings
A group of Democrat lawmakers labeled by the president as involved in “seditious behavior” have claimed that the president is using the FBI to target them as a “tool to pressure and threaten members of Congress.”
The four politicians, together with two additional members, had created a recorded message urging American troops to resist illegal commands – a statement that provoked Trump, who posted on online platforms that the individuals were “disloyal citizens” and thus might face imprisonment or even be subject to capital punishment.
An announcement, released by congressional lawmakers the Colorado congressman, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan, and the New Hampshire lawmaker, confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had reached out to the House and Senate sergeants at arms seeking discussions with them.
“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our constitution,” they stated, noting that they had each sworn an oath “to uphold and protect” the Constitution of the United States.
“That commitment is permanent, and we plan to honor it. We refuse to be intimidated. We will never give up the ship,” they added.
The statement deepens a conflict between the president’s team and Democrats, including the senator from Arizona and former astronaut Mark Kelly and Michigan congresswoman Representative Slotkin, over the recorded appeal, which advised the military and intelligence services members to “disregard unlawful commands.”
The Michigan lawmaker said the FBI’s counter-terrorism division had notified the lawmakers that “they are opening what seems like an inquiry targeting the six individuals” and described the move as a “scare tactic” by Trump.
“To be honest, the president’s reaction and the deployment of the FBI to target us is precisely the reason we made the video,” she said.
“He supports utilizing the US government to oppose those he views as opponents, 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 produced the recording, to give people some assurance that they weren’t alone as they observe these events develop.”
The US Department of Defense has additionally stated it is conducting a review of claims of improper behavior involving the senator that could, it indicated, lead to his return to military service to face court-martial proceedings.
