{"id":2198,"date":"2018-01-26T18:50:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-26T18:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/democrats.org\/blog\/2018\/01\/26\/trumps-year-of-obstruction-and-interference\/"},"modified":"2018-01-26T18:50:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-26T18:50:00","slug":"trumps-year-of-obstruction-and-interference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/democrats.org\/news\/trumps-year-of-obstruction-and-interference\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Year Of Obstruction And Interference"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Tomorrow, January 27, 2018, will mark the one-year anniversary of the first of a long series of attempts by President Trump to obstruct and interfere in the Russia investigation.&nbsp;On that day in 2017, after learning that Michael Flynn had been interviewed by FBI agents about his contacts with the Russian ambassador, Trump invited then-FBI Director James Comey to the White House and demanded his loyalty in a private dinner. Since then, Trump has repeatedly attempted to obstruct investigations into himself and his campaign, either on his own or by pressuring other officials.&nbsp;&ldquo;Corrupt intent&rdquo; is necessary for an obstruction of justice case &ndash; and there is plenty of evidence to choose from.&nbsp;See for yourself:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>JAN<\/u><\/strong><strong><u> 2017:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/i-expect-loyalty-trump-told-comey-according-to-written-testimony\/2017\/06\/07\/46413298-4bab-11e7-a186-60c031eab644_story.html?utm_term=.c4c3b65006c4\"><strong>asked<\/strong><\/a><strong> FBI Director James Comey for his loyalty on the same day that he learned Michael Flynn had been questioned by FBI agents.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>FEB 2017<\/u><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/05\/16\/us\/politics\/james-comey-trump-flynn-russia-investigation.html\"><strong>pressures<\/strong><\/a><strong> Comey to drop the FBI&rsquo;s investigation of Michael Flynn, a day after Flynn resigns from the White House.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>MAR 2017<\/u>: &nbsp; <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/01\/04\/us\/politics\/trump-sessions-russia-mcgahn.html\"><strong>pressured<\/strong><\/a><strong> Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to recuse himself.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/top-intelligence-official-told-associates-trump-asked-him-if-he-could-intervene-with-comey-to-get-fbi-to-back-off-flynn\/2017\/06\/06\/cc879f14-4ace-11e7-9669-250d0b15f83b_story.html?utm_term=.fdbe77d22fbb\"><strong>asks<\/strong><\/a><strong> DNI Director Dan Coats and CIA Director Mike Pompeo to intervene with Comey and get him to back off the Flynn investigation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/trump-asked-intelligence-chiefs-to-push-back-against-fbi-collusion-probe-after-comey-revealed-its-existence\/2017\/05\/22\/394933bc-3f10-11e7-9869-bac8b446820a_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-high_trumprussia-629pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&amp;utm_term=.6aeebd2bb63c\"><strong>asks<\/strong><\/a><strong> NSA Director Mike Rogers to publicly state that there was no evidence of collusion.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/politics\/wp\/2018\/01\/05\/timeline-what-we-know-about-trumps-decision-to-fire-comey\/?utm_term=.533d78e2a3d2\"><strong>pressures<\/strong><\/a><strong> Comey to publicly state that he is not under investigation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump begins to <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/01\/04\/us\/politics\/trump-sessions-russia-mcgahn.html\"><strong>openly discuss<\/strong><\/a><strong> firing Comey after the FBI Director publicly confirms the collusion investigation in a hearing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>APR 2017<\/u><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/politics\/wp\/2018\/01\/05\/timeline-what-we-know-about-trumps-decision-to-fire-comey\/?utm_term=.533d78e2a3d2\"><strong>pressures<\/strong><\/a><strong> Comey again to publicly state that he is not under investigation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>MAY 2017<\/u><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/05\/09\/us\/politics\/james-comey-fired-fbi.html\"><strong>fires<\/strong><\/a><strong> Comey, who is leading the investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/trump-asked-the-acting-fbi-director-whom-he-voted-for-during-oval-office-meeting\/2018\/01\/23\/2cb50818-0073-11e8-8acf-ad2991367d9d_story.html?utm_term=.f66666825d48\"><strong>asks<\/strong><\/a><strong> acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe who he voted for in the 2016 election.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump&rsquo;s anger at Sessions for his Russia recusal results in Sessions <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/09\/14\/us\/politics\/jeff-sessions-trump.html?_r=0\"><strong>sending him<\/strong><\/a><strong> a resignation letter, which Trump rejects.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>JUN 2017:<\/u><\/strong> &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/01\/25\/us\/politics\/trump-mueller-special-counsel-russia.html\"><strong>orders<\/strong><\/a><strong> the firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, but backs off when the White House counsel threatens to quit.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>JUL 2017:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/the-fix\/wp\/2018\/01\/25\/trumps-latest-watergate-comparison-that-was-18-minutes-this-is-five-months\/\"><strong>crafts<\/strong><\/a><strong> a misleading statement in response to initial reports of the now-infamous Trump Tower meeting between his campaign and Russian representatives. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2017\/07\/25\/trump-jeff-sessions-criticism-240916\"><strong>renews<\/strong><\/a><strong> his attacks on Sessions, publicly berating him in tweets and interviews, specifically referencing his recusal from the Russia investigation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>AUG 2017:<\/u><\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump&rsquo;s new FBI Director, Christopher Wray, is confirmed and begins <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/christopher-wray-threatened-to-resign-over-trump-pressure-to-get-rid-of-deputy-at-fbi-report\/\"><strong>receiving pressure<\/strong><\/a><strong> from Sessions to fire Deputy Director McCabe, reportedly leading him to threaten to resign. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/11\/30\/us\/politics\/trump-russia-senate-intel.html\"><strong>complains<\/strong><\/a><strong> to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he has not protected him from the Russia investigation, and pressures multiple members of Congress to help bring it to a close. &nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>OCT 2017:<\/u><\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump dismisses indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates and <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump\/status\/925005659569041409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&amp;ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slate.com%2Farticles%2Fnews_and_politics%2Fjurisprudence%2F2017%2F10%2Fa_complete_timeline_of_the_obstruction_of_justice_case_against_donald_trump.html\"><strong>calls<\/strong><\/a><strong> for the FBI to investigate Hillary Clinton.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>DEC 2017:<\/u><\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump reacts to the guilty plea of Michael Flynn by <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump\/status\/937141061343956992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&amp;ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slate.com%2Farticles%2Fnews_and_politics%2Fjurisprudence%2F2017%2F10%2Fa_complete_timeline_of_the_obstruction_of_justice_case_against_donald_trump.html\"><strong>again calling<\/strong><\/a><strong> on the FBI to investigate Hillary Clinton.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>JAN 2018:<\/u><\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:.5in;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left:1.0in;\"><strong>Trump refuses to say whether he has confidence in the FBI, and <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/the-fix\/wp\/2018\/01\/25\/trumps-latest-watergate-comparison-that-was-18-minutes-this-is-five-months\/\"><strong>compares<\/strong><\/a><strong> missing texts (which are recovered the next day) to the infamous 18-minute gap in the Nixon tapes.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tomorrow, January 27, 2018, will mark the one-year anniversary of the first of a long series of attempts by President Trump to obstruct and interfere in the Russia investigation.&nbsp;On that day in 2017, after learning that Michael Flynn had been interviewed by FBI agents about his contacts with the Russian ambassador, Trump invited then-FBI Director <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - 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