Charlotte Schnieders
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
Adam Schiff portrayed Lt. Col. Vindman as a "patriot" and we should be grateful for his military service, but investigating we find some rather disturbing information, not worthy of the accolades Mr. Trickery would like to bestow.
Vindman was part of a joint U.S.-Russia military exercise in Germany in 2013. His commander, Army LTC Jim Hickman witnessed Vindman bash Americans as uneducated and unworldly, criticized American culture and praised Obama and globalism in front of one of America's enemies, the Russians and his subordinates. Hickman verbally reprimanded Vindman's behavior and said, "don't let the uniform fool you he is a political activist in uniform making junior officers and soldiers feel uncomfortable." Adding: "This is not your professional, field-grade officer who has the character and integrity to do the right thing."
Which brings us to the oaths that National Security Council employees sign and affirm to "So help me God." A line of that oath states: I undertake also never to divulge any information I may have learned from communication intelligence sources or to disclose to "any person" whatsoever my knowledge of the existence of such intelligence sources. If Vindman had a problem with the call, he should have gone to his supervisor, Tim Morrison. Instead, violating his oath he leaked it to Ciaramella, who filed a secondhand complaint - against DOJ and DNI standards that ICIG Maguire stated are always rejected! Schiff immediately hired Ciaramella's colleagues, Misko and Grace, yet states he doesn't know the whistleblower's identity.
During testimony under oath Vindman claimed he was the principal advisor to the president on Ukraine. But when questioned by Mike Turner, Vindman admitted he never met, spoke with or advised the president on anything. Would you hire someone knowingly displaying such lack of integrity? When Nunes asked Vindman if he knew the whistleblower, Schiff stopped him from answering - why? Vindman, Yovanovitch and Volker felt their policies were more important than the president's. Trump vowed to "drain the swamp" and removed 70 Obama holdovers at NSC, where information is constantly leaked that damages national security.
Now, Democrats want to impeach Barr before Durham's report surfaces, revealing their corruption. It's insanity! Barr and Trump's duty is oversight of the courts and the judge in Stone's case decides the punishment. Time to remove Resistant Democrats in 2020!