Dear Editor,

Trump’s corruption is beyond “mind blowing.” Trump’s behavior is a violation of our democracy, of everything that Americans’ fought and died for, for over 225 years.

Let’s break it down:

Starting with his most serious, violent treasonous crime: the attempted coup on January 6, 2020. Trump created, organized, and directed a treasonous attempt to overthrow the duly elected 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden. Trump’s violent coup attempt resulted in seven deaths, over 140 seriously injured, millions of dollars of damage, and, above all, a very serious attempt to destroy our beloved democracy.

Another major part of the coup attempt was the effort to use “fake electors” from five swing states. This devious act to delay the count, return the elector count to the states and eventually toss the election to the House where Trump would have prevailed (each state would have one vote and 26 of them were GOP) was clearly criminal.

Another very serious crime committed by Trump was his stealing and attempted retention of highly classified documents belonging to the American people. Trump’s theft of these hundreds of classified documents has severely harmed the National Security of the United States.

Trump was the only president impeached twice by the House. Once for trying to bribe the President of Ukraine to get dirt on Joe Biden and once for the January 6th coup attempt (the Senate acquitted him both times).

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election identified ten possible obstructions of justice by Trump. Four actions that look the most promising against Trump include the president’s efforts to: get White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller; get then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to confine the investigation to investigating only future election interference; get McGahn to deny his order to fire Mueller; and encourage former campaign manager Paul Manafort not to cooperate with the government. (Only AG Bill Barr’s incorrect failure to indict him saved Trump from trial.)

Other investigations or transgressions against Trump are:

The fundraising appeals (a haul of about $250 million) for an entity that did not exist and for a cause (campaign litigation) that was no longer active.

The mysterious disappearance of Secret Service, Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security January 6 text messages.

The civil investigation in New York into Trump’s finances.

The Georgia grand jury investigation into his attempt to “find” just enough votes to win the state.

The possible accessing of voting machines.

Potential litigation contained in the 30,000 known lies in just four years, according to the Washington Post.

At least 26 women have accused Trump of sexual abuse, including sexual assault.

Hush payments to Stormy Daniels.

Hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 negligent homicides.

I could go on and on listing Trump’s crimes, the score is off-the-charts high.

The only reasonable and fair conclusion that can be reached is that: “Former President Trump is a TRAITOR and CRIMINAL. Period!”

Trump’s sentence should be: life in prison.

(As for the argument that we shouldn’t try the highest persons, we only have to look at Aaron Burr, for precedent. Burr was the third Vice President and was tried for treason in 1807 and acquitted on a technicality and eventually “run out of town.”)

To borrow a phrase that perfectly defines Trump’s behavior: “…the cruelty of it all, the crime of it all, the corruption of it all…”

Bill Bryant

St. Clairsville