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On a cold day in February, I put on my favorite church dress and winter coat and took the 40 minute subway ride to a Manhattan courthouse.
I sat in a room with a few dozen other attorneys and took my first oath of office—to be an attorney and counselor at law.
A Thread
I sat in a room with a few dozen other attorneys and took my first oath of office—to be an attorney and counselor at law.
A Thread
I wanted my parents to be there—but I had just started practicing and didn’t have the money to fly them in and they didn’t have the funds for a spur of the moment trip half way across the country.
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I rehearsed the oath like I did the Lord’s Prayer.
“I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution if they State of New York, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of attorney and counselor at law...
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“I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution if they State of New York, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of attorney and counselor at law...
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...according to the best of my abilities.”
At the ceremony, the presiding judge reminded us all that by taking the oath, we assumed a public office—that of attorney. It was now our responsibility to uphold the authority of the Constitution.
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At the ceremony, the presiding judge reminded us all that by taking the oath, we assumed a public office—that of attorney. It was now our responsibility to uphold the authority of the Constitution.
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That can take on many responsibilities. At first, I focused on upholding the Constitution by ensuring my clients had a zealous defense, a right to trial, and a right to confront their accuser.
I helped secure relief for the wrongfully incarcerated.
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I helped secure relief for the wrongfully incarcerated.
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And I helped secure benefits for the wrongfully discharged.
But my perspective on that oath shifted when I became an Army wife.
My husband’s oath—to protect and defend the Constitution was more important than my vow to merely support it.
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But my perspective on that oath shifted when I became an Army wife.
My husband’s oath—to protect and defend the Constitution was more important than my vow to merely support it.
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And if my husband could die in its protection, then I needed to support the Constitution to the best of my ability so he wouldn’t have to.
The most public version of that story involves my family’s experience with a Syrian deployment.
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The most public version of that story involves my family’s experience with a Syrian deployment.
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What I didn’t initially speak publicly about were the treasonous acts that caused me to turn from wife to advocate.
Treason, of course, is an impeachable offense. The only one defined in the Constitution.
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Treason, of course, is an impeachable offense. The only one defined in the Constitution.
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Donald Trump, as the Commander in Chief, knew that 500 Russian-lead militia attacked a small unit of American soldiers in Syria.
Russia was repeatedly asked to not advance on Americans.
Russia didn’t care.
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Russia was repeatedly asked to not advance on Americans.
Russia didn’t care.
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After a 4 hour assault, we killed 200-300 of those pro-Syrian, Russian militia forces.
Not one of the 40 Americans were injured.
My husband’s unit flew in Apaches that night.
Soldiers who once danced at my wedding—dodged bullets from our *ally*.
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Not one of the 40 Americans were injured.
My husband’s unit flew in Apaches that night.
Soldiers who once danced at my wedding—dodged bullets from our *ally*.
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This battle was one of the single, bloodiest battles Americans fought in Syria.
It’s received some coverage, but most Americans have no idea this battle happened.
11/ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/world/middleeast/american-commandos-russian-mercenaries-syria.html
It’s received some coverage, but most Americans have no idea this battle happened.
11/ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/world/middleeast/american-commandos-russian-mercenaries-syria.html
Four months later, the President of the United States—our Commander in Chief—bowed to + shook hands with Putin.
After Russian forces attempted to murder American soldiers.
After the intelligence community confirmed Russia interfered with elections.
/12 https://www.npr.org/2018/07/17/629601233/trumps-helsinki-bow-to-putin-leaves-world-wondering-whats-up
After Russian forces attempted to murder American soldiers.
After the intelligence community confirmed Russia interfered with elections.
/12 https://www.npr.org/2018/07/17/629601233/trumps-helsinki-bow-to-putin-leaves-world-wondering-whats-up
This is treason. This is giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
July 2018.
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July 2018.
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But it didn’t stop there. Trump decided to abandon the allies who fought alongside us in Syria—in favor of leaving a vacuum for the enemy that tried to kill us.
This is treason. This is giving aid to the enemy.
December 2018.
/14 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/trump-syria-turkey-troop-withdrawal.html
This is treason. This is giving aid to the enemy.
December 2018.
/14 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/trump-syria-turkey-troop-withdrawal.html
Then we did abandon the Kurds.
October 2019.
This act was so bad that 354-60, the House of Representatives condemned Trump’s actions.
They condemned it because it was treasonous behavior.
The condemnation even lays out the elements of treason.
/15 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/us/politics/house-vote-trump-syria.html
October 2019.
This act was so bad that 354-60, the House of Representatives condemned Trump’s actions.
They condemned it because it was treasonous behavior.
The condemnation even lays out the elements of treason.
/15 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/us/politics/house-vote-trump-syria.html
“Whereas an abrupt withdrawal of United States military personnel from certain parts of Northeast Syria is beneficial to adversaries of the United States government, including Syria, Iran, and Russia.”
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https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hjres77/BILLS-116hjres77pcs.pdf
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https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hjres77/BILLS-116hjres77pcs.pdf
That’s right.
354 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives agree that Trump’s actions gave aid to the enemy.
That is the Constitutional definition of treason.
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354 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives agree that Trump’s actions gave aid to the enemy.
That is the Constitutional definition of treason.
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The longer he’s allowed to flagrantly commit treason, there is no hope of reigning him in when it comes to breaking the law.
That’s why he issues any executive order he wants, fills our streets with secret police, keeps kids in cages, profits off the presidency...
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That’s why he issues any executive order he wants, fills our streets with secret police, keeps kids in cages, profits off the presidency...
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... bribing foreign governments, seeking their interference in elections, permitting bounties on soldiers, renting soldiers out like for-hire mercenaries, promoting treatments for COVID-19 that don’t exist, having no plan to end the public health crisis...
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...assassinating a foreign official on foreign soil, ending peace treaties, diverting the military to stay at his hotel, pardoning criminals who lie for him, gutting inspectors general, ignoring laws that he, himself, signs, using the White House as a political prop...
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...violating the Hatch Act, defunding the post office, using taxpayer funds to defend himself against rape, taxing gold Star families, calling veterans losers + suckers, obstructing Congress, appointing “interim” staff with no Senate confirmation, gassing his own citizens...
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...violating the separation of powers, sending troops in without congressional approval, levying tariffs on farmers, stealing military school funding to build a wall, hiring criminals to work for the US government, and never turning over his tax returns.
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He does these things and gets away with them because even though 354 Members of Congress laid out the indictment of treason in HJRes 77—it’s too frightening for most people to put the man on trial for it.
I submit that it’s more frightening *not* to.
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I submit that it’s more frightening *not* to.
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What we have isn’t an absence of evidence, it’s an absence of courage.
I took an oath before God.
This is me upholding it.
Congress must do the same.
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I took an oath before God.
This is me upholding it.
Congress must do the same.
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