To the editor:

For those who remember the Nixon administration coverup of the Watergate break-in of the Democratic National Headquarters, “follow the money” was the advice from the key informant known as Deep Throat. The same wisdom applies today.

Nixon was playing with money raised by the Committee to Re-elect the President. The Trump coverup is playing largely with taxpayer funds, along with money from God knows where.

Nixon tried to hide the evidence. It failed. Trump is not only hiding the evidence, but he’s also trying to divert attention away from the issue. So far, it’s worked. Trump’s strategy is much more costly to all American taxpayers than Nixon’s. It’s not just the money. Our president has in less than a year managed to compromise our geopolitical credibility with our most important long-standing allies. He politics with economically damaging, probably illegal, tariffs. Lies compulsively. Ignores the Constitution. Launches federal investigations without evidence against anyone he dislikes. Fires valuable federal public servants guilty of nothing and replaces them with those who are less qualified or unqualified but loyal only to him. And that’s just the short list.

But why? What would drive someone to behave in such a diabolical and damaging way? What could Trump be hiding that would be so damning to him?

I think the answer to the question, coverup, and the money will be found only when we see the complete and unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files.

Stephen E. Albright,

Baldwin City