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VoteVets Asks House Armed Services Chair to Investigate Trump/Gallagher Matter

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In declining to also address letter to Senate Armed Services Chair, or House Ranking Member, veterans group says:

“It has become beyond apparent during the recent impeachment process that the Republican Majority in the Senate, and Republican Minority in the House, has become completely corrupted…. It is therefore, sadly and unfortunately, a waste of our time to make an appeal to them to do their jobs.”

 

WASHINGTON, DC — Representing over 700,000 veterans, military families, and civilian supporters, the largest progressive group of veterans today appealed to the Chair of the House Armed Services Committee to hold immediate investigative hearings into the burgeoning scandal around the pardon of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher. The group declined to cc Senate Armed Services Chair, Sen. James Inhofe or House Ranking Member, Mac Thornberry, citing recent impeachment hearings as evidence that the Republican members have no interest in holding Donald Trump accountable, or finding the truth.

In the letter, Army Veteran and Director of Government Relations for VoteVets, Will Goodwin, wrote: 

“We believe the current situation demands a thorough inquiry into President Trump’s interference in the Gallagher case and the related actions of senior civilian and military leadership involved….

The hearing should investigate the entire Gallagher matter, with particular focus on the following:

  • The timing of President Trump’s intervention in the Gallagher case, which military and civilian officials he contacted, and how they responded.  
  • The circumstances surrounding the departure of Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and conflicting accounts of the reason for his removal.  
  • Communication between Fox News employees and staff of the White House, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, and any other military entities.”

The entire letter can be viewed here: http://action.votevets.org/gallagherletter

Notably, the veterans group specifically declined to send the letter to the Senate Armed Services Chair, Sen. James Inhofe, or the House Ranking Member, Rep. Mac Thornberry.  In declining to send it to those members, or members of the committees on their side, Fischer wrote:

“In ordinary times, we would be writing your counterpart in the Senate, Chairman James Inhofe, as well as your committee’s Ranking Member, Rep. Mac Thornberry, with full confidence that they would put party aside and do their due diligence to get to the bottom of this matter – as both Armed Services Committees have traditionally done.  

However, it has become beyond apparent during the recent impeachment process that the Republican Majority in the Senate, and Republican Minority in the House, has become completely corrupted, abdicated its Constitutional role as a check on excesses of the Executive Branch, and has instead decided to act as the chief defender and deflector of all efforts to hold Donald Trump accountable….

Therefore, we can only turn to you, and the majority on the committee, to get to the bottom of this matter.  We simply cannot trust that the Republican Minority in the House, or Majority in the Senate, will put the needs of the military above the protection of Donald Trump.  It is therefore, sadly and unfortunately, a waste of our time to make an appeal to them to do their jobs.”