Politics

Democrats called on Republican colleagues to join them in condemning effort to prosecute lawmakers

Lawyers for Jason Crow sent letter to Jeanine Pirro warning Trump administration further effort would be met with legal action

Schumer said if executive branch can attempt to prosecute members of legislative branch for exercising free speech it is constitutional crisis

Majority of Republicans have been silent

Crow said they have been clear about position and that it needs to stop

Video posted in November sparked anger from President Trump

He wrote SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR punishable by DEATH in post on social media site

Federal investigators began looking into video within days

Move to indict lawmakers rejected on Tuesday outraged Democrats

Elissa Slotkin threatened to sue administration for violating her right to free speech

Trump confirmed he blocked two Democrats from separate black-tie dinner

Kevin Stitt told Democratic governors President Trump reversed course would invite them to annual gathering at White House

Trump said he blocked Polis as part of pressure campaign to release Tina Peters

Stitt confirmed reporting in letter to governors on Friday withdrew NGA as official organizer of event

Stitt has sought to strike balance between projecting loyalty to Trump and defending authority of governors

Trump attacked Stitt on Wednesday for trying to strike balance calling Oklahoma governor mediocre

Trump denied trying to exclude Democrats from meeting in social media post

Trump symbolically pardoned Peters last year but president has no legal power to pardon state crimes

Stitt is in his last year as governor as he is term-limited from running again

Stitt criticized Trump’s deployment of National Guard in Chicago saying it violated states’ rights