Dems urge Trump to drop nominee who represented Russian bank
Source: Politico
05/09/2018 02:36 PM EDT Updated 05/09/2018 02:41 PM EDT
Democratic lawmakers urged President Donald Trump in a letter Wednesday to drop his nominee to lead the Department of Justices criminal division due to his past work for a Russian bank with ties to President Vladimir Putin.
The group spearheaded by Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called on Trump to withdraw Brian Benczkowskis nomination, arguing that he will not be able to credibly oversee the Divisions involvement in Special Counsel Muellers investigation and other sensitive matters such as the criminal investigation of Michael Cohen, the president's longtime personal attorney.
At a time when the Department of Justices handling of criminal matters has come under intense public scrutiny, it is essential that the Criminal Division have an experienced and well-qualified leader whose judgment and independence are beyond reproach. Mr. Benczkowski, who has no prosecutorial experience, does not meet these criteria, the group of Democratic senators wrote. Simply put, Mr. Benczkowski is not the nominee our country needs at this critical moment.
....................................................
The lawyer disclosed in a letter to lawmakers last July that he had previously represented Alfa Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in Russia. The revelation prompted some Democrats to call on Benczkowski to recuse himself from the DOJ investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 elections, while others flat-out rejected his nomination.
.....................................
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/09/trump-justice-nominee-brian-benczkowski-democrats-577491
Link to tweet
Eliot Rosewater
(31,097 posts)sandensea
(21,530 posts)robbob
(3,514 posts)😝