In a move that has raised eyebrows, House Democrats are reportedly considering appointing a key advocate of the debunked Russiagate narrative to the panel set to investigate the botched assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
This information comes from Punchbowl News, which has identified Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman as a likely candidate for the congressional task force.
Goldman, who served as lead counsel during Trump's first impeachment before his 2022 election to Congress, is known for his staunch criticism of the former president. According to Punchbowl News, he has consistently portrayed Trump as a menace to democracy. Goldman's controversial stance on the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, which he fervently promoted, has been a point of contention.
In 2021, Goldman asserted that "the Trump administration withheld evidence that definitively proves collusion" and that "there is no longer any doubt about collusion" between Trump and Russia. He had previously claimed in 2020 that "there not only was evidence of collusion but there was, in fact, collusion." However, the Durham Report, which investigated the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion allegations, found that the Federal Bureau of Investigation "failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law" in its probe. It also revealed that investigators used "uncorroborated intelligence" to initiate the investigation, despite having information suggesting that the collusion narrative may have originated within Hillary Clinton's campaign.
Goldman's rhetoric about Trump has been notably harsh. During a November 2023 appearance on ex-White House press secretary Jen Psakis MSNBC program, he stated, It is just unquestionable at this point that that man cannot see public office again. He is not only unfit, he is destructive to our democracy, and he has to be, he has to be eliminated. He later retracted his statement, apologizing for his "poor choice of words."
In a June 24 post, Goldman reiterated his belief in the threat Trump allegedly poses to American democracy. He wrote, Donald Trump remains the greatest threat to our democracy. Look no further than Project 2025, which is Trump and his allies plan to march us into fascism, referring to a document compiled by conservative think tanks, from which Trump has distanced himself.
The bipartisan congressional task force investigating the assassination attempt on Trump will comprise 13 members, seven Republicans and six Democrats. Other Democrats reportedly being considered for the panel include Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, New York Rep. Grace Meng, and Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, as reported by Punchbowl News.
Neither Goldman's office nor that of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has responded to requests for comment. The decision to potentially include Goldman on the panel, given his history of anti-Trump sentiment and promotion of the discredited Russiagate narrative, raises questions about the impartiality of the investigation. This development underscores the need for a fair and unbiased examination of the failed assassination attempt on the former president.
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