1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I write to you not from partisan impulse, but from concern for the health of the institutions entrusted to us by our constitutional system. Recent reporting by The New York Times describes an unusual and troubling episode: a post-election call in which President Trump reportedly questioned frontline agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation about an active inquiry, a call said to have been facilitated by the Director of National Intelligence. I was struck with genuine alarm upon reading this account. Our Republic depends not only upon written law, but upon restraint—upon the quiet understanding that certain lines are not crossed, even when power permits it. Among the most essential of these restraints is the distance maintained between political authority and the work of investigation and enforcement. That the Director of National Intelligence is reported to have played a role in arranging such contact only deepens the concern. The purpose of that office is coordination and oversight of the intelligence community, not participation in, nor facilitation of, engagement with domestic law enforcement agents involved in active matters. When boundaries blur, confidence erodes, and confusion of authority follows. It may be asserted that no improper influence was intended or exercised. Yet the strength of free government lies not merely in the absence of abuse, but in the preservation of appearances that sustain public trust. When investigators are placed in direct contact with the very power whose interests may be implicated, the public is left to wonder whether independence remains intact. I respectfully urge you to pursue clarity and oversight in this matter. Congress bears a solemn responsibility to ensure that established safeguards are honored, and that no precedent is set which weakens the separation between political power and the rule of law. In moments such as these, vigilance is not opposition; it is stewardship. I trust you will treat this matter with the seriousness it warrants.