Vigilance Required to Protect Mueller Investigation in Wake of Sessions’ Resignation

New York, N.Y. –  In response to the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Brennan Center President Michael Waldman issued the following statement:

“This is a moment to be vigilant. The President has fired his chief law enforcement official and replaced him with someone who may show willingness to imperil the special counsel investigation. Everyone committed to the rule of law and the separation of powers should demand that the president take no action that would interfere with the course of Robert Mueller’s investigation.
 
“President Trump has already shown a willingness to interfere with the rule of law and the independence of investigations. Now everything is on the line. Does the President launch a constitutional crisis, or does he respect the laws and guardrails that protect our democracy? Congress should act now to shield the investigation, protect Mueller from firing, and ensure that any inquiries into the president, his family, or the actions of Russia in our 2016 election are held sacrosanct.”

The National Task Force on Rule of Law and Democracy – a group of former public servants and policy experts housed at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law – has laid out a vision for strengthening government ethics and the rule of law, including protecting the independence of law enforcement investigations.

For more information or to schedule an interview with a Brennan Center expert, contact Rebecca Autrey at rebecca.autrey@nyu.edu or 646–292–8316.

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