WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) released the following statement in response to President Trump firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

“The only transparency to be found in the Trump White House is in the president’s disdain for the Mueller investigation into the 2016 election. After multiple guilty pleas and convictions among the president’s campaign advisers, he is relentless in his campaign to find any way possible to limit the scope of the ongoing investigation. I did not support Jeff Sessions’ nomination to be Attorney General but he followed the law and rightly recused himself from overseeing the work of Mr. Mueller and his team of professional investigators. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein should continue to oversee the Mueller investigation. New Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is already on-the-record making inflammatory comments on how to limit the scope of the investigation and cut off resources.

“Under the current oversight of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation must continue until a thorough conclusion can be reached. The president must stop trying to impede its progress. Congress has a responsibility to finally take legislative action to protect the investigation from the White House, especially the president. Upon completion, the Special Counsel should make a full report to Congress and the American people that would disclose any misconduct by President Trump, his Administration, or campaign officials.

“No one under our Constitution – not even President Trump – is above the law, and Congress cannot allow the President to obstruct the Special Counsel’s investigation.”

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