LEAKS

4 August, 2017

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher,

101 Main Street #380

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Dear Congressman,

Re: Leaks

I note that your president, with the assistance of his new Chief of Staff and his Attorney General, is attempting to crack down on leaks from his administration. If, as a US Congressman, you could grab his ear for half a second or even write him a letter he might read, please tell him that the answer is a very simple one: if he learns to tell the truth himself and insist on honest transparency in his administration, there will be no need for leaks.

It is no answer at all to attack the leakers and our cherished freedom of the press. These actions will only serve to make things worse. There are those, I’m sure, in his administration, who see it as their duty to serve the interests of the American people. When they see secrecy, cover-up, dishonesty, their public-spirited conscience will not allow them to be silent.  There are those in the media, who see it as their proper function to seek out the truth and make it known. They do their job to the best of their abilities

Instead of helping them in their work, as he rightly should, Trump puts every obstacle in their way and blusters absurdly about “fake news.”

Joe the Plumber (remember him?) will tell him—though Joe wasn’t really a plumber: leaks happen when the pressure builds up and there’s a weakness or corrosion in the lines. The thing about leaks, too, is that though they start with just a tiny seep or drip, they only get worse with increased pressure on them. Soon enough, the pipes will burst. Then comes the flood.

Will you tell him, please? Just tell him to relieve the pressure by letting the whole truth out, before it is too late.

Respectfully,

Peter Clothier, Ph.D.