Email just sent to U.S. Senator Richard Burr:

I strongly urge you to ensure the appointment of an independent investigation of the potential collusion of the Trump Administration in the Russian hacking of the 2016 Presidential Election. You, sir, are the focal point of determining whether the Legislative Branch will allow United States of America to be regarded both at home and throughout the world as a banana republic. The idea that the Director of the FBI is fired under obvious false pretense the day after Sally Yates testified that the Trump Administration tolerated the lies of the National Security Director for 18 days (and then only after leaked facts in a press report) has put the country in a Constitutional Crisis.

As a retired attorney with 35 years of practice, including the supervision of sensitive investigations, I know, as i am sure you do as well, that the President’s self exoneration of any wrongdoing in the very letter that fires the lead investigator is chilling. Obviously the highest level official in any investigation will not be told he is the target of an investigation unless or until enough facts have been gathered about the actions of officials under his supervision have been developed. While the President may or may not have directed anyone on his team to coordinate the Russian cyber attack, his actions brings suspicion that he seeks to deflect and frustrate the investigation.

Is the President just ham handed? Or is he guilty of wrongdoing? Senate investigation appears to be understaffed. Whether or not the Senate investigation has been “slow walking” until now, the timing of the President’s firing of the FBI Director requires that you ensure the integrity of our very democracy by requiring a credible and well staffed investigation as far away from the President’s control as is humanly possible.

Respectfully,

Douglas Nichols, Retired VP and General Counsel of Portland General Electric Co.