Liberal lawyer says left's Russia-Trump obsession is like Stalin and KGB — here's why

Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz explained in a radio interview Sunday morning that the obsession over Russia, and the left's determination to pin President Donald Trump of wrongdoing in last year's election, is a similar attitude that Russian dictator Joseph Stalin and the KBG had with opposition.

Since Trump won election last November, his political opponents have tried to accuse him and his campaign of colluding with Russian operatives to undermine Hillary Clinton's campaign. However, no concrete evidence has surfaced to suggest either collusion or a crime.

KGB-esque

According to Dershowitz, who is an ardent liberal and has been nearly his entire life, the left's obsession over Trump-Russia "endangers democracy."

Dershowitz explained: "The idea of trying to create crimes just because we disagree with [Trump] politically, and target him, really endangers democracy. It reminds me of what Lavrentiy Beria, the head of the KGB, said to Stalin: 'Show me the man, and I will find you the crime.'"

The Department of Justice shouldn't "target" people, Dershowitz added.

Democracy dies in darkness

One of the biggest problems so far with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe is its secrecy, Dershowitz observed.

He explained that by handing the investigation to a special counsel instead of a public congressional committee, the investigation has been manufactured to operate "darkness and secrecy" from the beginning.

"This exactly the wrong way to approach the problem of Russia’s attempt to influence American elections," Dershowitz said.

What would you do?

When asked what approach he would take, Dershowitz said he would have established a "special investigative committee consisting of distinguished Americans, some of them Democrats, some Republicans, some nonpartisan, some from the intelligence committee, just to get to the bottom without pointing fingers, without trying to say 'this person is a criminal, this person is impeachable.'"

"Just to get the facts — only the fact," he emphasized.

Leaker targeted

Dershowitz said a negative consequence of an investigation in secret is leaks. "We do not know what is going on. We get leaks, but the leaks are selective leaks."

"One of the worst offenders of leaks is the former head of the FBI: Comey," Dershowitz said. "[He] created a very very bad precedent for people in government, making it sound like it is OK to leak material. It is not OK to leak material!"

Comey leaked some of his "Trump memos" — personal notes he took when he met with Trump — to a personal friend from law school after Trump fired him in May, leading to widespread criticism.