An open letter to the U.S. Congress

Censure Amb. Bill White for undermining free speech. No more Trumpist ambassadors

2,084 so far! Help us get to 3,000 signers!

Please: Uphold freedom of speech and habeas corpus: they are our constitutional rights, established in the constitution which you swore to defend. I write to ask that you: Censure and remove Ambassador to Belgium Bill White. I was appalled to read that Ambassador White recently threatened an American citizen. I hope that you too are appalled. It is outside an ambassador's duties and outside the law for an ambassador to threaten a US citizen for expressing an opinion critical of the US government. Here's what happened (h/t Dempsey debrief) "*US ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, threatens US citizen in Belgium* This American citizen exercised his first amendment right, emailing the Zac Brown Band to encourage them not to perform at Trump's two hundred and fiftieth celebration taking place later this month in Brussels. Bill White then took him upon himself to email this citizen, insinuating he knows his personal information See @dempseydebrief for the full story) Here is what Ambassador White wrote: "We would like to get in touch with you regarding your email to my friend Zac Brown what's your best email and number? Pls do let us know because we know it already." This is disturbing, threatening, sinister. It is NOT an APPROPRIATE email for a senate-confirmed ambassador to be sending to any American citizen abroad. The ambassador took a formal oath to support and defend the US constitution just as you did. Insinuating a threat to an American citizen for using freedom of expression undermines the constitution. In breaking that oath, Ambassador White has engaged in conduct that requires censure and removal. I ask that you confirm NO MORE nominees to ambassadorships without ensuring that their loyalty will be to upholding the constitution and protecting American citizens and their rights, not to acting as private enforcers for the president. Please use all the tools available to you to show that this conduct by the ambassador is unacceptable; design your response as a warning to other Trump appointees who might seek to infringe our constitutionally enshrined rights, especially the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and of belief. I hope your actions will include investigations, the use of subpoenas, censure and demands for resignation or impeachment of the ambassador in question. Your oath to defend the constitution requires you to act when others shred it and undermine the rights it promises. Ambassador White is not the only member of the Trump administration who undermines the constitution: make an example of him and then move on to the others. Please reply to let me whether you intend to honor your own oath to the constitution and to hold others to theirs.

▶ Created on June 20 by Mary · 2,076 signers in the past 7 days

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