Responsibility to follow through on indictments in Russia investigation

Robert Mueller, special counselor in the investigation of Russian intervention in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has recently released his first indictments regarding the investigation.

Paul Manafort, former chairmen of the Trump campaign, and Rick Gates, an associate of Manafort, were both charged with 12 criminal charges, including conspiracy charges.

As of Monday morning, both Manafort and Gates plead not guilty to all charges.

However, foreign policy advisor for the Trump campaign George Papadopoulos recently accepted a plea deal and is now cooperating with the investigation.

President Trump has not been quiet on the matter, and tweeted that any connection between Manafort and Russia happened long before his campaign began.

He also quickly tried to change the subject, reminding all of his “crooked Hillary” speeches.

The conservative media, which lately tends to side exclusively with the President, quickly saw this as an opportunity to attempt to discredit Mueller and the investigation as a whole.

Following Trump’s example, they began to rehash the Hillary email scandal.

None of this is surprising, of course, as this is the typical chain of events anytime a scandal regarding Trump or his colleagues comes up.

As always, a distraction attempt is made; Trump claims he is being attacked and others lie about him, and then we move on to the next scandal.

So will this be any different?

Will Mueller be able to follow through with the indictments and bring the whole investigation to a close?

Or will this be just another event that we move on from after a week?

So far, it appears that Mueller is determined to find answers, whether or not the results prove detrimental to the president, his administration, or his colleagues.

The fact that one person has already agreed to cooperate with the investigation and has admitted to charges is a good sign.

The presidential election process is a vital part of the American democracy.

To have other entities intervene and get away with it would compromise our nation and the credibility of our leaders.

There is a responsibility for Mueller and the justice system to follow through with this investigation and properly reprimand those at fault.

This should not be another incidence where the powerful get away with crimes.

The American people deserve truth. We deserve to feel confident in our government and the justice system.

Not only do we deserve it, but we demand it.