Dear Editor:
The Republican Party has shown itself to be pro-crime. The Trump administration has been carrying out arguably criminal and pro-crime activities, and the Republican Congress, including Missouri’s elected federal officials, has supported this travesty.
On Saturday, a U.S. citizen, an ICU nurse who worked at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis, MN, and who clearly, as evidenced by several bystander videos, posed no threat, was killed, shot multiple times by immigration officers after they already forced him to the ground. In response, Trump's administration immediately made public statements that included verbal attacks on and blatant lies about the victim. Where are calls from Congressional Republicans to hold those responsible in the administration to account and rein in these heinous actions?
In November, both Republican-majority houses of Congress passed a law ordering Trump’s DOJ to release all documents related to sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s conviction 30 days after Trump signed the law. On the release date, December 19, a small portion of the documents were released, but what DOJ claims are millions still have not, missing the court-ordered deadline. Where are the contempt charges, Republicans?
Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentences of the many January 6, 2021, insurrectionists. Some committed even more serious crimes after they were back on the street, including Emily Hernandez from nearby Franklin County, Missouri, who is now serving 10 years in prison for causing a drunk-driving accident that killed a woman and seriously injured her husband. Again, Republicans had no impeachment motion or other pushback for Trump.
This term, Trump has pardoned many fraudsters convicted of extensive bank fraud, healthcare fraud, wire fraud, and more. Besides wiping away their sentences, he has denied their victims restitution that totals at least into the billions of dollars. These are formally and properly convicted criminals, but we’ve heard crickets about it from so-called “law-and-order” Republicans.
Trump has decimated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency formed to protect American consumers from corporate financial crimes. We view this as Trump’s signal to businesses that federal oversight for cheating regular people like us will be slim to none. For Republicans, protecting consumers from getting ripped off is not a priority.
Internationally, attacks on merely alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in the killing of people from Venezuela and Colombia, have been reported to be done by illicit means and are likely violations of international law. Where are the Republican national security hawks?
These examples are just a few of many. The lack of responses from Republicans speaks louder than words. Our takeaway is that the GOP has gone pro-crime.
Voters for Informed Action
Rolla, MO
Catherine Frank
Kathy Love
Polly Scott-Showalter
Suzanne Femmer
Yvonne Cheek
