Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) said that Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) abdicated his duty to build a wall to stop Trump from reaching into the evidence locker on the Russia investigation. Instead of attending the bipartisan Gang of 8 briefing, Ryan left town to go fundraise.
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Rep. Swalwell said, “A speaker speaks up. And Paul Ryan today chose to leave town when a bipartisan meeting took place. I think that represents the worst of Washington because he left town to go to a fund-raiser. There was an opportunity to have a bipartisan meeting, to address the alarming behavior coming from Paul Ryan’s colleagues in Congress, including Devin Nunes, and he just leaves town. Whether that is a sign he doesn’t want to be a part of this or he is giving the green light to the president, he is abdicating his responsibilities to put up the walls between lawful investigations and what Donald Trump is trying to do to reach into the evidence locker and pervert this investigation.”
Swalwell pointed to the exact reason why Ryan has been referred to as a Trump accomplice. Speaker Ryan is not even pretending to do his constitutional duty and protect the integrity of the investigations. He allowed Devin Nunes to run wild. He backs Trump up on everything associated with the Russia investigation by either non-committal answers or no answers at all to questions, and the Speaker has avoided all responsibility for the investigation.
When the story of this dark chapter in US history is written, Paul Ryan is going to be one of the key villains, because when faced with the choice of protecting his country or a corrupt president, Ryan chose corruption. Paul Ryan isn’t a speaker. He is a weak-kneed empty suit, who has betrayed his country for tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. When the call of duty came for Paul Ryan, he left town and went to a fundraiser.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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