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How To Protest Trump's Firing Of James Comey
Tuesday's firing of FBI Director James Comey took just about the entire country by surprise. President Donald Trump has probably benefited the most from any errors Comey made during his tenure at the FBI. After all, the Hillary Clinton email investigation likely won him the election. Now, Trump wants to send Comey packing, which is especially curious if Comey reassured the president three times he wasn't under investigation (as Trump's dismissal letter states). Ya, that's not normal.
Here's how to protest Trump firing Comey, because the timing is suspect and the Russia issue is not going away.
As Vox explained Wednesday, this is about much more than just one person being fired. Earlier this week, the associates of Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser, were served subpoenas. Then Senate investigators asked the Treasury to find any financial ties between four Trump campaign employees and Russia (Flynn is one of them). Plus, don't forget, President Trump met with Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister at the White House Wednesday. And most explosively, it seems that Comey asked for more funding for the Russia investigation before getting fired.
So, yes, clearly there are reasons to protest Comey being fired. Not necessarily to bring him back — that's surely not going to happen. But the only hope of a successful investigation into the Russia ties is with a special prosecutor appointed by the Department of Justice. Evidently, in the late '90s, a Watergate-era bill expired taking that power away from Congress. So it all rests on the Assistant Attorney General Rod Jay Rosenstein: These protests actions might get him to do it.
1Call Rod Rosenstein
OK, so I don't have his phone number on hand. But you can call the Department of Justice and ask for a special prosecutor on their comment line. The number is 202-353-1555.
If you prefer to try to get to him directly, the main switchboard number is also on their website (good luck!), as is a way to send an electronic message.
2Sign A Petition
The ACLU has a petition to pressure the Department of Justice to move towards an independent investigation on Russia. It explains exactly why this is necessary:
...[O]nly an independent special prosecutor can ensure a full investigation free of partisan politics and conflicts of interest, the kind of investigation the American people deserve. There is now robust bipartisan support for a special prosecutor — this is our opportunity to get the answers we need for a functioning democracy.
There's already more than 60,000 people on board. Sign your name here.
3Look For A Real, Live Protest
There were some that started spontaneously after Trump sent Comey packing, but there will likely be more. Check out online tools like ResistanceCalendar.org to find one near you. Even if it's organized by another progressive cause, coming with a sign about the need for a special prosecutor won't ruffle too many feathers. The weekend's a key time to protest, so look now. If you don't find one, plan your own!
4Call Your Senators
Senators have the ability to keep Trump without an FBI director until a special prosecutor is appointed. But beyond that they have the responsibility to ensure that whoever replaces Comey is just as independently minded. Make sure they do so. Find your senators' numbers and tell them why this matters for the country.
5Go To A Town Hall
What would even be better is if your senator (or a representative too) were having a town hall meeting. Check their pages on the Senate and the House's websites. These have all become big media events these days, and it's a great way to make your demand publicly.
6Write A Letter To The Editor In Your Local Paper
Believe it or not, politicians pay a big deal of attention to this — even more than what's being said in big national papers like The Washington Post or The New York Times. Plus, not only do you get their attention, but you can sway the views in your community too, and that brings more people to the resistance.
7Push For Legislation If Rosenstein Doesn't Act
The Ethics in Government Act expired in 1999 — after being implemented after the Watergate Scandal. But that doesn't mean it can't come back. NPR reported that Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Dem, is drafting legislation just in case. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that (passing it with veto-proof majorities might be difficult). But it is a last-ditch option.
This should keep you busy until the next catastrophe to come from the White House. Just don't lose focus on the important stuff and keep persisting.
