Senator Chuck Grassley.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley today said President Trump “should let the special counsel do his job.” That was Grassley’s first comment to reporters in Washington, D.C. soon after the revelation that the man who served as Trump’s campaign chairman for five months was indicted.
Grassley has released a written statement after a briefing about the indictment of Paul Manafort and one of Manafort’s associates, as well as the guilty plea from a Trump campaign advisor.
Grassley said: “As always, it’s important to let our legal system run its course.” Grassley did not mention the president’s power to pardon those accused of crimes. Grassley said he and other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will continue their work “to ensure that the Justice Department and FBI are functioning free from inappropriate influence.”
Grassley added that it is “a dirty little secret” in Washington that the Justice Department has had “lackluster enforcement” of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Grassley said it’s good to see the Justice Department taking that responsibility seriously.
Republican Joni Ernst, Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, issued a “no comment” when reporters asked her for reaction this morning to the Manafort indictment. She has released a written statement this afternoon.
“As I have said, it’s important that we let the Special Counsel and bipartisan congressional investigations continue in earnest,” Ernst said.