Suburban Democrats press for special prosecutor
With a Republican Congress, Illinois Democrats can't legislate a special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference in President Donald Trump's election but they used their voices to urge GOP colleagues to act Friday.
Separate news conferences by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and local congressional representatives came on the heels of a Trump Twitter post warning fired FBI Director James Comey that their conversations might have been taped.
"Americans deserve the truth," U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston said. Comey's termination "was about the Russian investigation, pure and simple."
Durbin, of Springfield, called for a special prosecutor as did his House colleagues, who also are seeking an independent commission to delve into the situation.
"I hope a number of Republicans will step up and agree a special prosecutor is necessary," Durbin said. "They tell me privately they're worried."
Trump has said he ousted Comey for incompetence and called Russian tampering nonsense.
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley disagreed with Comey's revelation of a reopened investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails right before the November election but didn't call for his firing.
The White House has suggested Democrats are being hypocritical for objecting to Comey's firing and initially stated Comey was fired because he botched the email probe.
To suggest Comey was fired because of how he "handled the emails poorly redefines cynicism," said Quigley, a Chicago Democrat.
Saying he's "got a real concern about a foreign country trying to interfere in our election," U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield said his suburban constituents are ringing his phones with one message: "Get to the bottom of it. Get to the facts."