A few choice bits from the New York Times’ “An Open Letter to the Deputy Attorney General”:
At this fraught moment you find yourself, improbably, to be the person with the most authority to dispel that cloud and restore Americans’ confidence in their government. We sympathize; that’s a lot of pressure.
You have one choice: Appoint a special counsel who is independent of both the department and the White House.
Few public servants have found themselves with a choice as weighty as yours, between following their conscience and obeying a leader trying to evade scrutiny — Elliot Richardson and William Ruckelshaus, who behaved nobly in Watergate, come to mind. You can add your name to this short, heroic list. Yes, it might cost you your job. But it would save your honor, and so much more besides.
Credited to “The Editorial Board”.
Has the official voice of the NYT ever spoken directly to an individual like this? This seems remarkable to me.