CommentsVIEW FROM HERE-I am the whistleblower. Here, Mr. President, take me. I am the one who sounded the alarm.
I am the one who said enough is enough. It was me, Mr. Trump, I am the whistleblower. And so is anyone who believes in the inherent value of a government with checks and balances, a foreign policy that is accountable to voters, the enshrinement of a free press, and the need to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution. I don't have to read a transcript ---as incriminating and doctored as it was -- to know that what happened with the Ukrainians was illegal, unethical, un-American, and unacceptable in the eyes of the citizenry. We have a republic, Mr. Trump, but only if we can keep it.
The transcript itself reveals a blatant abuse of power and influence by the Trump Administration (it is never permissible or wise for the POTUS to have a foreign government investigate a political opponent); but that is not the real crime, at least not the crime that is impeachable. The impeachable crime is actually a series of crimes, ones committed over a substantial period of time and authorized by Trump himself. Those crimes were committed by Rudolph Giuliani and his cohorts, namely Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman (photo above).
What these two men are accused of doing is every bit as illegal and conspiratorial as the Watergate break-in, as The Washington Post reported: "The indictment does not allege any wrongdoing by the president or his campaign, but the charges of political donations made for the secret benefit of foreign interests adds to the growing legal and political pressure on Trump and his attorney. . .and these allegations are not about some technicality, a civil violation or an error on a form,” said William F. Sweeney Jr., head of the FBI’s field office in New York. “This investigation is about corrupt behavior, deliberate lawbreaking.”
In fact, the two men had been arrested on charges they schemed to funnel foreign money to U.S. politicians while trying to influence U.S.-Ukraine relations. That is what prosecutors can likely establish right now. How much more will they uncover from these two individuals? How connected were they to an unofficial Trump foreign policy?
This is what the impeachment is really about, at least I hope so. That is why I am the whistleblower, as is any likeminded individual who is willing to call out President Trump for participating in an illegal and unconstitutional scheme to collude with a foreign government to influence a national election. Did Giuliani act under Trump's orders (just like Michael Cohen), and were these orders counter to the national interests of our nation? Did they exceed the reach of his executive powers?
There are elected officials in America for a reason. Democracy is dead without them. Even CIA officials who often work in secret are still -- if under contract -- a representative of the People of the United States of America. What we cannot have are unelected, unaccountable, in-house goons, mercenaries, and rogue agents making decisions for us. That may be acceptable in other nations without a vibrant democracy, but not here. In America, what Giuliani did-- and make no mistake about it, he did it because President Trump wanted him to -- was unconstitutional, if not anti-Constitutional.
Giuliani and Trump, working in lockstep, waged personal gain and political prestige over what was envisioned and honored by the American forefathers and foremothers. That is what impeachment is about and that is why I am the whistleblower.
I hope to God that John Adams was wrong when he said, "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide."
(George Cassidy Payne is an independent writer, social justice activist, and domestic violence counselor. He is a CityWatch contributor.) Photo: Alexandria Sheriff’s Office. Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
