Letter to the Hon. Donald J. Trump - Come Clean about Decision to Fire U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

Next month, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York will commence trial for Reza Zarrab, a Turkish national charged with money laundering and fraud. We write regarding an alarming report in the Washington Post that this case--a key source of tension between the United States and Turkey--may have been connected to your decision to fire respected U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who was leading the prosecution.

When you dismissed Mr. Bharara, we were surprised and disappointed that you chose to expel from office such an experienced, talented, and dedicated public servant, especially in light of earlier assurances that he would be allowed to stay on in his position. Your Administration subsequently did little to explain how and why you came to the decision to abruptly reverse course and fire him. Now, the Post's reporting raises serious questions about the role that Mr. Zarrab's case -- and related lobbying by supporters of your campaign and Turkish government officials -- had in Mr. Bharara's dismissal.

Your first National Security Advisor, General Michael Flynn, lied about having acted as a foreign agent on behalf of the Turkish government. Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a vocal supporter and campaign surrogate, joined the legal team defending Mr. Zarrab in March and was in communication with Mr. Bharara regarding Mr. Zarrab's case as early as a month before his termination. Further, around the same time that Mr. Bharara was fired, Mr. Giuliani lobbied your Department of Justice on Mr. Zarrab's behalf. These entanglements create the distinct and troubling appearance that Mr. Bharara's dismissal may have been connected to his prosecution of Mr. Zarrab.

In order to ensure full transparency and public accountability, we request all official communications between the White House and the Department of Justice concerning your decision to fire Mr. Bharara as U.S. Attorney. In addition, we request copies of all emails, call transcripts, meeting notes, or other materials that may contain a record of discussions that relate to the rationale for Mr. Bharara's firing or his handling of the case against Mr. Zarrab.

Simply put, if Mr. Bharara was dismissed at the request of a campaign associate or White House official acting as an agent of a foreign government -- or if he was fired at the request of a foreign official -- Congress and the American people have a right to know.

We appreciate your full cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,