Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Budget and Homeland Security, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, issued this statement following sentencing memoranda filed by the Special Counsel’s office in criminal matters relating to the president’s former personal lawyer and his former campaign chairman:

“Earlier this evening, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York and those with the Office of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, filed three sentencing memoranda concerning ongoing criminal matters involving Michael Cohen, the president’s former personal lawyer and trusted advisor, and Paul Manafort, the president’s former campaign manager.

“The sentencing memorandum filed in the SDNY is damning for the president. The memorandum indicates that the President, also known as “Individual-1” committed a felony and directed a felony to be committed by ordering his personal lawyer to violate campaign finance laws for the express purpose of winning the 2016 presidential election.

“The sentencing memorandum issued by the Special Counsel’s office as it relates to Mr. Cohen is no less forgiving. It indicates that Cohen had prolonged contacts with Moscow during the campaign, going back to November 2015, and through the first several months of the current administration. The memorandum also indicates that Cohen lies about Russia in order to lie to obstruct with an official investigation. This suggests that, during the administration of the current president, there was a criminal conspiracy concerning this matter which was strong, substantial and continuing. In light of what we learned today and since the beginning of this investigation, it is becoming clear why the President was so insistent on obstructing this investigation: to prevent the disclosure of the nature and extent of his contact with Russians.

“With respect to Paul Manafort, the Special Counsel’s filings indicate that Manafort lied on five different occasions, after he was convicted on federal criminal charges, and after he had entered into a plea agreement with the Special Counsel’s office. Additionally, he lied to the Special Counsel’s office about whether, after he entered into a plea agreement, he was communicating with lawyers for the president and sharing with them information not anticipated to be shared, for the purpose of obstructing the investigation.

“All told, as this investigation unfolds, and we learn more about the series and pattern of criminal activity emanating from the Trump Campaign from 2015 onwards, the President’s attempts to obstruct the investigation are rational but also illegal. The American people have a right to know what happened and deserve to know to what extent the 2016 election is a crime scene. The Special Counsel continues to perform an invaluable service to our nation”

“Indeed, the work done by the Special Counsel is critical to Americans’ confidence in our election systems, to ensure that the interference by a hostile, foreign adversary does not ever again occur, and bring those nefariously involved in the 2016 election to justice. I have long been concerned with ensuring the Special Counsel is permitted to continue his investigation. This is why over a year ago, I introduced H.R. 3654, the Special Counsel Independence Protection Act, which garnered the support of over 150 members of Congress. I am also proud that substantial portions of H.R. 3654 were incorporated into H.R. 5476, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, which I introduced with Congressman Jerry Nadler, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, and Congressman Steve Cohen, the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. If enacted into law, H.R. 5476 would permit an affected Special Counsel to require judicial ratification of any termination, during the pendency of which the investigation would be stayed, and immune from any interference from the President, or others.”