No Answers for Constituents
I live in the 4th congressional district of Florida, a predominantly conservative area that encompasses parts of Jacksonville and extends south to St. Augustine. Readers of these pages will perhaps not be surprised at the sequence of events I will describe. Still, it is a story worth telling to illustrate not only the political cowardice that now defines the Republican Party, but the growing lack of accountability that politicians face as a result of the collapse of local newspapers that traditionally served as the eyes and ears of the community.
Our local Republican Congressman, John Rutherford, is a retired law enforcement officer and former Sheriff of Duvall County. He is very conservative but was a respected public official in Jacksonville for decades. Respected, that is, until Donald Trump entered the political scene. Like so many other Republican politicians, Rutherford knows perfectly well that Donald Trump is a racist, a demagogue, a liar, a lawbreaker, and, as George Will has described him, “a sad, embarrassing wreck of a man.” Rutherford knows that Trump has in countless ways dishonored his country, betrayed his oath of office, and as president laid waste to the civil discourse that has historically held our nation together even through sharp disagreements between the parties. Yet the former Sheriff now trembles in fear that he may upset the former President, who insists that his made-up version of reality be adopted by all Republicans.
Despite the terrible events and violence incited by Trump at the capitol of January 6, 2021, Rutherford has steadfastly refused to support any comprehensive investigation of the insurrection, voting against a proposed bipartisan commission and the formation of the congressional committee that is currently looking into it. The Congressman’s apparent disinterest in finding out what led to an attempt to sabotage our democracy piqued my curiosity. After all, how is it possible that any member of Congress would not want to know what led to a violent siege on the very institution of which he is a member? News stories about Rutherford’s activities and positions on important issues are rather hard to find and he tends to avoid commenting on controversial issues. So I decided to reach out directly to the Congressman to find out where he stands on important issues relating to the election of 2020 and the insurrection.
Responding to my questions should not have required much time or any research. For example, I asked, “If you were in Vice President Pence’s position on January 6, would you have certified the electoral college results as Pence did?” Since we all know the constitution provides no option for Pence to have done anything other than certify the results, this should have been an easy question to answer. But apparently it stumped Rutherford.
I already knew that Rutherford voted against certifying the electoral college results, even after the insurrection at the capitol. But since Rutherford claimed at the time that he could not vote to certify because of “serious allegations of fraud,” I asked what evidence he could provide of these allegations. Surely a mere claim of fraud by the loser of an election, especially after exhaustive reviews have disproved it, cannot be a reason to throw the country into chaos.
I also asked if he supported Trump’s statement that the rioters at the capitol are being “persecuted [sic] so unfairly.” This was another easy one, especially given Rutherford’s law enforcement background. As a fellow retired law enforcement officer, I am familiar with a bond of loyalty among law enforcement agents, whether they be federal, state, or local, especially when they have been physically attacked. How could Rutherford possibly side with lawbreakers over the capitol police, many of whom were savagely beaten? He should have no hesitation in disavowing Trump’s statements.
In October of last year I received an email from Rutherford acknowledging receipt of my questions and stating that he “looked forward … to replying.” However, when I received no reply, I contacted Rutherford’s office in late November and was told that my inquiry “had been closed out” for unknown reasons. I was informed that I would get a response in the near future. After several more weeks of silence, I renewed my request and was again told that a reply would be coming soon. Almost four months have passed since I posed these simple questions to the Congressman, but I have yet to receive the courtesy of a reply.
You would think I could go to local newspapers and at the very least be able to air my grievance about Rutherford’s lack of response in a letter or guest column. But newspapers here and around the country have changed dramatically in recent years. Their coverage of local issues and politicians has almost vanished. In the local St. Augustine Record, there is no longer even a daily editorial page with opinion columns and letters from readers. The Jacksonville Times Union has also cut back coverage dramatically. They now have an abbreviated opinion page, which typically features a guest column from a business lobbying group pushing for more tax breaks or some other narrow agenda. My proposed guest column documenting Congressman Rutherford’s refusal to respond to legitimate questions from a constituent does not qualify for publication.
We all know the game Rutherford is playing. He doesn’t wish to respond because he knows that honest answers would infuriate Trump, who would then endorse a Trump worshiper to run against him in the Republican primary. Rutherford has chosen self-preservation instead of doing what is right and honorable. And while Rutherford’s strategy may allow him to remain in office, he will have demonstrated that he does not possess the integrity and strength of character that should be a minimum requirement for holding his office.
