AG Balderas Calls for Independent Special Counsel Following President Trump’s Firing of FBI Director Comey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 11, 2017

Contact: James Hallinan (505) 660-2216

Santa Fe, NM – Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas joined 19 other attorneys general in calling for the immediate appointment of an independent special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election. The letter, sent to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, calls the firing of FBI Director James Comey during his ongoing investigation “a violation of the public trust.”

“As prosecutors committed to the rule of law, we urge you to consider the damage to our democratic system of any attempts by the administration to derail and delegitimize the investigation,” the letter states.

The attorneys general also argue that the residents in their states “deserve a thorough investigation that makes clear the extent of Russian meddling, any collusion by Trump campaign officials, and any cover-up.”

Joining Attorney General Balderas in today’s letter are attorneys general from Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and Washington.

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