Romney followed in Hillary Clinton’s footsteps, claiming that the veteran was pro-Russia.
QUICK FACTS:
- Former Hawaii Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is taking legal action against Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) for defamation.
- The move comes after Romney took aim at Gabbard, saying she was pushing Russian propaganda after she made controversial comments about the war between Russia and Ukraine.
- The alleged propaganda from Gabbard was in the form of her speaking out against United States-funded biolabs in Ukraine.
- “When powerful, influential people make baseless accusations of treason, a crime punishable by death, in order to intimidate, silence and censor those who speak the truth, it has a chilling effect on our democracy,” Gabbard tweeted Wednesday. “This cannot go unchecked.”
- Romney is trying to achieve an effect whereby “if anybody dares speak out against the government … [or] criticize whatever the washed, permanent Washington establishment narrative is, then you will be smeared … as a treasonous traitor,” Gabbard told host Tucker Carlson earlier this month.
GABBARD’S COMMENTS:
- “Here are the undeniable facts: There are 25-30 U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine,” Gabbard said in her video uploaded to Twitter. “According to the U.S. government, these biolabs are conducting research on dangerous pathogens.”
- “Ukraine is in an active war zone with widespread bombing, artillery and shelling and these facilities even in the best of circumstances could easily be compromised and release these pathogens,” she went on to say.
- “So in order to protect the American people, the people of Europe, the people around the world, these labs need to be shut down immediately and the pathogens that they hold need to be destroyed.
- “Instead of trying to cover this up the Biden-Harris administration needs to work with Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations, NATO, to immediately implement a ceasefire for all military action in the vicinity of these labs until they’re secured and these pathogens are destroyed,” Gabbard said.
BACKGROUND:
- Gabbard was previously involved in a suit against former first lady and presidential contender Hillary Clinton who claimed that Russia was using Gabbard as a potential “third-party candidate.”
- The former Hawaii representative then sued Clinton for $50 million, an action that she eventually dropped, citing belief that a “COVID and post-COVID world require them to focus their time and attention on other priorities.”
