Carper Statement on Russia Investigation Developments

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on the developments made public this morning in the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. 

“Almost a year ago, each one of our country’s intelligence agencies unanimously agreed that the Russian government sought to change the course of history and alter the outcome of our presidential election. Over the last several months, there have been many serious questions raised about potential collusion between the Russian government and the campaign of Donald Trump. Bob Mueller, former FBI Director and now special counsel for the Russia investigation, is working to uncover if that was indeed the case. I know Special Counsel Mueller is committed to doing what is right, not what may be easy or expedient. His work ethic is matched only by his commitment to finding the truth—and, now more than ever, Americans need the truth. Therefore, Special Counsel Mueller and his team must be allowed to complete their investigation without any interference whatsoever.

“We have a system of justice in this country where we presume innocence until proven guilty. The fact that Paul Manafort and his business partner, Rick Gates, have been indicted does not necessarily mean they are guilty, but clearly Special Counsel Mueller has found just cause to further examine their role in the 2016 election and their close associations with foreign governments, including Russia. These indictments, combined with the news today that a former Trump advisor pleaded guilty to giving false statements to the FBI about his contacts with foreign officials close to the Russian government, paint a dark picture of the people who ascended to top roles in the Trump campaign. The American people deserve the truth. We need to know what happened in the 2016 election, and we need to do all we can to ensure our country can defend itself against foreign meddling in our democracy in the future.”

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