There must be an investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia

It may well turn out that there was no inappropriate, clandestine or dangerous communication between members of Donald Trump’s incipient administration and Russian operatives.

Perhaps the full extent of Russia’s dirty tricks in America have been spreading fake news and helping Julian Assange embarrass the Democratic National Committee’s top officials.

There’s even a possibility that all those people with close ties to Russian officialdom – people who have received paychecks from the Kremlin; recognition from Russian politicians; applause from Russia’s propaganda arm, RT – have done nothing on Russia’s behalf.

But we won’t know until we thoroughly, and officially, investigate.

We can’t be swayed by Russia’s smirking denials. We can’t be distracted by dismissive comments from politicians. No, we can’t just take their word for it.

Why? Because we’ve already seen too much, heard too many brazen falsehoods, ignored too many warning flares. And now it’s getting dangerous.

Besides backing Trump in our election, Russia has secretly deployed a new cruise missile, buzzed one of our warships and continues to stir up trouble in Syria, Iran and who knows where else. Before we take any action to help Russia (lifting sanctions) or harm it (adding teeth to our NATO alliance), we need to know exactly who in the administration has links to Moscow and where they stand.

Until we find out how deep this administration’s ties are to Vladimir Putin’s Russia, any statements from Donald Trump will lack credibility. And a president without credibility is severely hampered.

What we don’t need is eight separate investigations, like those Republicans launched into the tragedy in Benghazi. Such partisanship taints all it touches and serves no one. The further Sens. Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders stay from this the better.

Let the Republicans lead – if they will. Most of America trusts John McCain, the Bush family and even Lindsey Graham; ask one of them to take the wheel. Our elected representatives, including Trump supporter Jeff Denham, a Republican who represents Stanislaus and south San Joaquin counties, should vote to start the process. Investigators must be independent of Congress and the Justice Department and have authority to subpoena and compel testimony.

Start by making Trump’s tax returns public. Congress can do that now, but just yesterday refused.

While Trump might be truthful in saying he has no investments in Russia, he also insists that he doesn’t run his company, that he’s turned it over to his sons. Do his sons have partners in Russia?

Donald Trump Jr. bragged in 2008 that “a lot of money (is) pouring in from Russia.” The head of the U.S. Russian Chamber of Commerce said in 2016 Russian investments with the Trump Organization was “in the hundreds of millions.” An impartial investigator must delve deeply into those statements.

Or, we can leave it in the hands of the press. When Trump goes out of his way to disparage some of our nation’s finest investigative organizations, it should tell us he’s getting uncomfortable.

Calling reports from the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, McClatchy D.C. Bureau, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and others “fake news” is a tactic meant to diminish their credibility.

These are intensely partisan times. Trump’s true believers have no room in their worldview for negativity concerning their hero. Many liberals are just as myopic, believing Trump guilty of any and every heinous crime. Ignore both extremes.

We fervently hope most people are still capable of looking at facts and reaching reasonable, sober conclusions. But first we need those facts.

And we’ll get them, whether Congress acts or not.

This story was originally published February 18, 2017 at 1:53 PM with the headline "There must be an investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia."