Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, released the following statement about the President’s admission on Twitter that he knew his former National Security Advisor had lied to the FBI:

“This weekend, the President offered the latest in a long list of explanations for his firing of National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn. But through his use of Twitter, Trump also took a giant step closer toward admitting that he obstructed justice.

“Trump tweeted that he ‘had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI.’ The timeline is problematic because it suggests the President knew Flynn had lied to federal agents when he asked his FBI Director to drop the Flynn investigation.

“Further troubling is the suggestion by Trump’s attorney that the President cannot be guilty of obstruction because he is the President. The attorney’s faulty interpretation of the law is erroneous, misguided, and an anathema to the values we hold dear to as Americans.

“In this country, no one is above the law, not even the occupant of the White House. Trump’s words and actions continue to illustrate a brazen disregard for the checks and balances, and separation of powers that define our democracy.

“As the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, it is my job to take a proactive stance on presidential abuses of power that violate the Constitution. By using social media to explain his reasoning for firing General Michael Flynn, Trump has reawakened Americans’ interest in the quintessential questions: What did the President know and when did he now it?”