WA Dems criticize GOP for defending Trump before charges are made public

Lawmakers are responding to former President Donald Trump's indictment in a New York court.

He was indicted by a grand jury for his alleged role in covering up hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels during Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The Washington State Democratic Party said in a tweet, "Trump was a criminal before, during and after his time in office."

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Seattle) said nobody is above the law, including presidents — whether Republican or Democrat — and she's criticizing Republicans who say the indictment is politically motivated.

"They're undermining our legal system and our rule of law," Jayapal told KUOW's Paige Browning. "And I think that they will have a responsibility if this blows up in a similar way to the way that the insurrection was incited and blew up."

In a tweet, the Washington State GOP accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "weaponizing the justice system to go after political opponents" and "seeking political vengeance instead of focusing on protecting the public."

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Spokane) was among those criticizing the indictment.

“We are in uncharted territory," she said in a statement. "Even the appearance of this being politically motivated is doing irreparable damage to the trust and confidence in our justice system. President Trump must receive the same right to due process as every other American.”

Jayapal argued the case has gone through the proper legal process thus far and that critics are making judgements before all the facts are known. As of Monday, the indictment was still sealed, leaving the exact charges and evidence against Trump unknown.

"I think that it is extremely dangerous for my Republican colleagues to be criticizing this indictment, when they don't even know the details," she said. "I don't think we can divorce the statements that Republicans are making right now, that Donald Trump is making right now from the increased violence that we have already been seeing and that we will continue to see."