Vincent Ryan RuggieroIt was recently reported* that Attorney General Pam Bondi has “signed an order to launch a grand jury investigation into the origins and promotion of the [2016] Russia hoax by former President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CIA Director John Brennan, DNI James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey [and others].” The aim of the hoax, according to the report, was to smear Donald Trump.
Many call this “Russia Hoax” the greatest scandal in U.S. government history, and if the evidence proves accurate, they are not exaggerating. Because of the scope and complexity involved, dealing with the matter will not be easy. A good way to begin is to address these important questions: What harm has the scandal done and to whom? What are the moral responsibilities of those who contributed to the scandal? What punishments should those offenders receive?
The Harm
Trump was harmed most of all by the hoax, and the lies and suspicion it spread throughout his first term, by lawsuits and two impeachments. Those associated with him—in particular Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Rudy Giuliani, George Papadopoulos, and Sidney Powell—were maligned and in many cases imprisoned. Members of both houses of Congress were persuaded to distrust the President and oppose his programs. Thousands of journalists were encouraged to print lies associated with the hoax almost daily, a practice that has continued in some newsrooms to this day. Many educators and religious leaders became convinced that Trump was an evil man determined to destroy the nation, and felt obligated to preach those convictions to students and parishioners. Leaders of countries around the world became at very least wary of Trump and thus made his negotiations with them unnecessarily difficult, to the detriment of their citizens and Trump’s.
Most damaging in scope was the harm to the lives of millions of American citizens. This is hardly surprising given the daily diet of suspicion, fear, and rabid hatred of Donald Trump they have been fed for almost a decade, often by people they most trusted and respected! Little wonder that their anger has frequently spilled over to supporters of Trump, whether workplace colleagues, mothers, fathers, sisters, or brothers, to the point where places at holiday tables were empty, funerals of loved ones unattended. The damage done to Americans’ relationships could well last for decades.
The Responsibility
Legal discussions of the Russia Hoax are best left to legal experts. A more fruitful discussion for the rest of us is ethical considerations, which are the foundation of law. The most basic ethical principle, which all religions and secular philosophies embrace, is “Do good and avoid evil.” Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (among other religions) also teach the Ten Commandments, including the one most relevant to our discussion, the Ninth: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) Virtually every one of the harms mentioned above is a violation of this commandment.
If, as reported, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CIA Director John Brennan, DNI James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey and others promoted the Russia Hoax to smear Donald Trump, they are guilty of a serious violation of the Ninth Commandment and bear direct or indirect responsibility for spreading the resulting lies.
The culpability of others associated with the scandal depends on whether they knew they were propagating lies and whether they acted freely or were coerced. If they didn’t know the truth, the question is should they have tried to find out? In other words, did they wonder whether the accusations could be false and seek an honest answer. This should surely not have been too much to expect from journalists and commentators who for years maligned Trump. Similarly, it is hard to imagine that educators lacked the ability to compare news reports, note differences, and detect dishonesty.
If members of Congress feared losing support of their party if they supported Trump’s programs, their accountability for telling lies might be somewhat lessened but still would not warrant putting their ambitions ahead of their obligations to their constituents.
Of all those who were persuaded or fooled by the Russia Hoax, no group is more difficult to understand than religious leaders of various denominations who not only denied Trump the benefit of the doubt but in many cases joined in maligning him. Their biblical training should have cautioned them about the sin of giving false witness. Their commitment to guiding their flocks should have made them more dedicated to determining the truth. And when the Hoax was first revealed, they should have been quicker to deplore it. Some still seem to have avoided doing so.
The Appropriate Response
Given the dishonesty of and harm done by the Russia Hoax, a strong case can be made for those who knowingly devised and implemented it, if found guilty, to be sentenced to prison. By itself, sentencing would make clear to our citizens (and the rest of the world) that the individuals involved were truly guilty and that American justice is evenhanded.
However, an equally strong case can be made for postponing the carrying out of the sentences and allowing those convicted to seek Presidential pardons. President Trump would have the opportunity to grant the pardons and thus avoid prolonging the shame the Hoax caused and take a major step toward restoring harmony to the nation.
Let’s look more closely at what such a pardon would convey to Americans and others around the world: It would show that even the most hated, slandered, libeled president in U.S. history could put aside a decade of pain and abuse and forgive those who purposely harmed him and inspired others to do the same.
Such a display of mercy by one of the most powerful people in the world would have a greater impact in this country and abroad than tens of thousands of church sermons and lectures on peace. It would touch millions of hearts and minds and provide a model for following Jesus’ call to treat others as we wish to be treated. If all this happens, America will be truly blessed.
Copyright © 2025 By Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. All rights reserved.
Fr Joseph Esper
Deacon Steve Greco
Fr Charles Irvin
