Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, I am an attorney and member of the Utah State Bar, whose members’ careers are all dedicated to upholding the rule of law. You both had distinguished careers as Utah lawyers before joining the Senate.
Hatch is a long-standing member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Lee has written extensively on our Constitution. Clearly, both of you believe deeply in the rule of law as a core principle and guiding light in our society.
But, from his firings of Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and FBI Director James Comey, to his bullying of Attorney General Jeff Sessions (who did the only ethical and legal thing he could do in recusing himself from the Russia investigation), to his recent exhortations to police in Long Island to treat recently arrested suspects brutally and illegally, it is increasingly clear that President Trump does not share our belief in the rule of law.
Rather, he seems to believe he was elected emperor and is above the law, and that laws can and should be bent when convenient. He demeans his office, and sets a horrible example for our young people and the rest of the world.
As senators, you each have great power and influence. So what are you each doing to call out the president on his outrageous behavior?
Or is the chance to advance the Republican Party’s agenda still more important to each of you than the soul of our country?
Ira Rubinfeld
Salt Lake City