Fairfax, VA – On August 4, 2023, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, a senior member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, sent a letter to Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf to request the Judicial Conference explicitly authorize the broadcasting of court proceedings in the cases of United States of America v. Donald J. Trump. The letter was led by Congressman Adam Schiff.
“Our judicial system must be accessible and transparent,” Connolly said. “The American people have a right to know what is said in cases that concern us all. As Donald Trump faces trial, I encourage the court to make the proceedings available for all to watch - it's in everyone's best interest to know the truth.”
In their letter, the members wrote, “It is imperative the Conference ensures timely access to accurate and reliable information surrounding these cases and all of their proceedings, given the extraordinary national importance to our democratic institutions and the need for transparency.”
“We urge the conference to take additional steps, including live broadcasting, to ensure the facts of this case are brought forward, unfiltered, to the public,” the members concluded.
Connolly is a longtime proponent of expanding transparency in the U.S. judicial system. He is the author of Cameras in the Court legislation, which would require the U.S. Supreme Court to televise proceedings.
Text of the letter is available here and follows:
The Honorable Roslynn R. Mauskopf
Judicial Conference Secretary
Administrative Office of the United States Courts
One Columbus Circle, NE
Washington, D.C. 20544
Dear Judge Mauskopf:
We are writing to request the Judicial Conference explicitly authorize the broadcasting of court proceedings in the cases of United States of America v. Donald J. Trump. It is imperative the Conference ensures timely access to accurate and reliable information surrounding these cases and all of their proceedings, given the extraordinary national importance to our democratic institutions and the need for transparency.
As the policymaking body for the federal courts, the Judicial Conference has historically supported increased transparency and public access to the courts’ activities. Given the historic nature of the charges brought forth in these cases, it is hard to imagine a more powerful circumstance for televised proceedings. If the public is to fully accept the outcome, it will be vitally important for it to witness, as directly as possible, how the trials are conducted, the strength of the evidence adduced and the credibility of witnesses.
We urge the conference to take additional steps, including live broadcasting, to ensure the facts of this case are brought forward, unfiltered, to the public.
Original source can be found here.
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