1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to ensure that former and current President Donald Trump is fully accountable under the law, like any other citizen. The strength of our democracy depends on the principle that no person, including a president, is above the law. In the federal election‑interference case, Trump argued that former presidents should enjoy sweeping criminal immunity for acts taken in office. Multiple lower federal courts rejected this broad claim, emphasizing that once a president leaves office, he becomes a private citizen who can be held responsible for unlawful acts. The Supreme Court later created categories of “official” and “unofficial” acts, giving absolute or presumptive immunity to some presidential conduct but explicitly denying immunity for unofficial acts, leaving serious allegations unresolved and raising the danger that presidents can evade accountability through legal technicalities. Comparative experience from other democracies shows that holding leaders legally accountable is both possible and compatible with stable, vibrant political systems. In South Korea, former presidents Park Geun‑hye and Lee Myung‑bak received lengthy prison sentences for corruption and abuse of power, underscoring that high office is not a shield from the law. In France, former presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy were convicted in corruption cases through ordinary judicial processes, reinforcing the idea that public service comes with legal responsibility. Argentina has prosecuted former leaders, including Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, for corruption, while Israel continues to try sitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on multiple corruption counts. These examples demonstrate that democratic norms are strengthened—not weakened—when the law applies equally to those at the top. By contrast, if our system signals that presidents can act with impunity, it invites future abuses of power. The United States has long presented itself as a champion of the rule of law, yet other democracies have gone further in actually prosecuting current or former leaders when warranted. Failing to hold Trump to the same legal standards as any other citizen would create a dangerous precedent that future presidents could exploit. I therefore ask you to: • Publicly affirm that no president is above the law and that criminal accountability must extend to former presidents where evidence supports prosecution. • Oppose any legislative or political efforts—whether through broad immunity, amnesty, or pressure on prosecutors—that would foreclose or undermine good‑faith criminal proceedings involving Trump. • Support reforms that clarify limits on presidential power and strengthen safeguards so that future presidents cannot rely on ambiguous immunity doctrines to escape accountability. Our country’s credibility, at home and abroad, depends on showing that even the most powerful can be investigated, tried, and, if convicted, punished under fair and impartial procedures. Other democracies have demonstrated that this is both feasible and essential to preventing a slide toward authoritarianism. I urge you to act accordingly. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. I look forward to your response.