Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. Rep. Dave Reichert wants to let it burn. There is smoke swirling all around the Trump administration and its ties to Russia. Reichert has missed two important opportunities to get to the bottom of this. On Feb. 14 in the House Ways and Means Committee, Reichert voted no on the effort to request Trump’s tax returns.

On Feb. 28, Reichert voted to cut down House Resolution 111, an effort to ask that the House Judiciary Committee demand pertinent documentation from the White House. Both efforts sought to provide needed transparency on Trump’s business and personal ties to Russia, examining how these relationships and business deals could impact our democracy and our national security.

Reichert blocked both efforts, voting with fellow Republicans along strict party lines. This raises an important question: why is this a partisan issue? I’m asking my Congressman to ensure that laws have not been broken and that our nation is protected from risks associated with the president being beholden to a foreign entity.

Chris Petzold

Issaquah