Why Alexander Vindman's Trump White House lawsuit matters

[Nevilledog]

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Joyce Alene
@JoyceWhiteVance
New from me on ⁦@AVindman’s ⁩ lawsuit. Sometimes it takes a courageous individual to remind us that here, right still matters. And it’s up to all of us to see that it remains so.

msnbc.com
Opinion | Why Alexander Vindman's Trump White House lawsuit matters
Sometimes it can be enough, or at least a start, to take the first step forward.
10:08 AM · Feb 14, 2022

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/alexander-vindman-s-trump-white-house-lawsuit-matters-n1289008

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Vindman alleges that following his testimony, a group of people inside the Trump White House and in the former president’s inner circle, including Trump himself and at least one member of the media, conspired to “prevent him from and then punish him for testifying.” Stories were spread across news and social media outlets that Vindman was a spy for Ukraine and that he was not loyal to the United States. Vindman alleges in the lawsuit that the conspiracy effectively ended his military career.

It would be bad enough if this case was about a president using the power of his office to intimidate one man. But it’s not. Other members of Vindman’s family were targeted for harassment, including his wife and his brother, a lawyer at the NSC whose position was also compromised. Vindman’s complaint alleges that the damage goes much further: “The actions taken by Defendants against Lt. Col. Vindman sent a message to other potential witnesses as well: cooperate and tell the truth at your own peril.”

That message seemed to hit home at the time of Trump’s first impeachment. Some witnesses, like Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, did come forward. But many others didn’t, including Trump’s man in Kyiv, Rudy Giuliani, national security adviser John Bolton, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. They delayed, using sometimes dubious assertions of privilege that prevented them from testifying before the proceedings ended.

Vindman’s lawsuit alleges that the chilling effect of his treatment didn’t stop with Trump’s impeachment trials: “Witnesses subpoenaed by Congress in connection with its investigation into the events of January 6, 2021, continue to heed former President Trump’s instructions to defy those subpoenas, undermining Congress’s constitutional oversight role and the fundamental principle of checks and balances between three co-equal branches of government.” The allegation is both stunning — that a president would undermine the rule of law in such a serious and pervasive manner — and unsurprising, at least for anyone who paid attention during Trump’s time in office.

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[SheltieLover]

1. This man is a national treasure!