Former President Donald Trump has
pleaded not guilty to 37 counts brought against him by the Department of Justice for mishandling classified information. This is his right as an American citizen. It is also his right to make the case that he is innocent of criminal wrongdoing. But it is wrong and dangerous to undermine public confidence in the rule of law itself by calling the case a
“witch hunt,” and, as he has previously done, fomenting the baseless conspiracy theory that there is a government-controlled
plot to bring him down.
Alberto Gonzales
Attacking the process and all connected with it is a tried-and-true tactic of individuals burdened by unfavorable facts, as Trump is. Distracting from these unfavorable facts with
whataboutism is another. But these disingenuous approaches threaten the very foundations of our country, which are predicated on our citizens’ belief in the rule of law – the principle that our laws are equally enforced, that guilt or innocence is determined by an independent party and that our leaders defer to the institutions responsible for it.
Those of us who believe in civil discourse must seek to shore up our foundations, push back against Trump defenders’ attacks on the rule of law and refuse to be distracted. The role of the institution charged with getting to the bottom of the facts of this matter is straightforward. The job of prosecutors and investigators at the Department of Justice is to investigate criminal wrongdoing and bring individuals who violate the rule of law to justice.
An overwhelming number of
federal prosecutors, like Special Counsel
Jack Smith, who is overseeing the Trump probe, are career employees of the Justice Department rather than political appointees of the president. Nor was this
prosecution instigated by the White House.
Attorney General Merrick Garland recused himself and appointed Smith as a special counsel under
DOJ regulations, which are designed to shield special investigations and prosecutors from possible political interference from the normal day-to-day supervision of the attorney general and other political appointees.