Instead of calling the FBI when offered Russian dirt on Hillary Clinton, Trump Jr. responded, “I love it” and set up a meeting for himself, Kushner and campaign chairman Paul Manafort to meet with a person described as a “Russian government attorney.” In other words, informed of a secret Kremlin effort to use highly sensitive, probably stolen information about a former U.S. Secretary of state to manipulate an American election, Trump Jr. signaled, “We’re in!”
Contrast that to what happened in 1960, when the Kremlin made a similar offer to support the candidacy of John F. Kennedy against Richard Nixon, which the Kennedy campaign rebuffed. Likewise, when the Al Gore campaign in 2000 received confidential materials relating to the Bush campaign, they called the FBI.
Is this contrast a sign of different moral codes between the two parties — lack of patriotism, lack of respect for our democratic values — or simply self-serving at any cost on the part of the Republicans?
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There is mounting evidence that Donald Trump Jr. may have acted immorally, unethically or illegally in his communications with Russia. If his actions were immoral or unethical, there should be a political consequence. However, if his actions were illegal, should he be indicted?
The rules are different for Washington-types. Although President Trump’s opponent was found to be “extremely careless” in her handling of sensitive information, there was no indictment. Will Donald Trump Jr. receive similar treatment for being extremely careless?
Let’s look to our nation’s early history for some perspective. George Washington’s personal attorney, Edmund Randolph, was our nation’s first Attorney General before he assumed the duties of Secretary of State. An intercepted letter from the French bound for Randolph detailed French contempt for the United States. According to the letter, Randolph had revealed that Washington’s “neutral” Administration was hostile to the French. When Washington presented the letter to his Secretary of State, Randolph resigned. Today, scholars describe Randolph’s surreptitious actions as “lapses of good sense.” Randolph clearly communicated with a foreign government and paid a price for his actions.
Moving back to Donald Trump Jr. and the current situation. What about his lapses of good sense? It looks like the President’s son may have communicated with a foreign government in some fashion. While Randolph quit before he was fired, should Donald Trump Jr. consider doing the same? If he does, he should then let the process play out. If he is ultimately vindicated… so be it. However, until the matter is resolved, no more Oval Office tweets suggesting that Donald Jr. is “open, transparent and innocent” because his own emails suggest otherwise.
Ray Fowler
Redwood City, CA