Rep. Mary Peltola spoke on April 4 about the indictment of former president Donald Trump. And she said this: “As amember of the legislative branch, it’s not really my place to comment on things in the judicial branch.”
Her statement recognizes a basic keystone of our democratic system of government. The judicial branch, under our Constitution, functions independently of the other branches, legislative and executive.
But Sen. Dan Sullivan said on March 31 that, based on “numerous press reports,” the prosecutor “didn’t have “credible, airtight evidence” of a serious crime, and that the indictment puts the U.S. “into banana republic territory.” Then he badmouthed the prosecutor.
Sullivan’s meddling in judicial matters — even just in words — is inexcusable.
What’s more, nobody knew until April 4 what the actual indictment said. The press knew nothing either, but he didn’t think of that. And if Congress wades into the judicial process, then we’ll really be in “banana republic territory.”
A jury will decide whether Trump’s indictment is well-founded and justified; that’s how our democracy works. Hey, senator, please take note of Rep. Peltola’s excellent statement.
— Vivian Mendenhall
Anchorage
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