Blumenthal Applauds Senate Judiciary Committee Passage of Legislation to Protect the Special Counsel

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded passage of bipartisan legislation to protect the Special Counsel and his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, possible Trump campaign collusion with efforts to interfere in our democratic institutions, and obstruction of justice. The Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act ensures that any action to remove a special counsel can go forward only if a panel of federal judges finds “good cause.”

“The President’s rash and reckless statements this morning heighten our clear and urgent imperative to protect the Special Counsel. This measure will assure the integrity and independence of an investigation vital to our national security and public trust in the rule of law,” Blumenthal said. “No one is above the law. No President can obstruct justice by firing a special counsel or by blocking a legitimate criminal investigation. This mandate for special counsel protection is more vital now than ever before and its importance mounts by the day. The bipartisan vote today is historic, in the highest traditions of the United States Senate as the public expects it to work.”

The legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today is the result of bipartisan negotiations conducted since Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) first introduced legislation to protect the independence of the Special Counsel and the integrity of his investigation in August.