Congressional Leaders Demand Release of U.S. Marine Veteran Trevor Reed

Wednesday, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), House Foreign Affairs Committee Republican Leader Michael McCaul (TX-10), and I held a press conference demanding the immediate release of U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Trevor Reed, who is currently being detained as a political prisoner in Russia. We were joined by Trevor’s mother and father, Paula and Joey Reed.

Full video of remarks and reporter questions can be viewed here.

“Our resolution and our message are simple,” I said, “The United States will not tolerate an American citizen being held by the Putin Regime as a political pawn. Free Trevor Reed.”

“It's hard for any of us to fathom what it must be like to have a loved one falsely accused of these charges sitting in a foreign prison,” said Sen. Cornyn. “We demand that the Russian Federation release Trevor Reed and all other political prisoners they hold. it's time to bring Trevor home.”

Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said, “It's unjust the way Trevor has been treated by the Russian judicial system. It's been nothing short of what I would call cruel. That's why we're united in this in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion to send a very clear message. Free Trevor Reed. I am thankful to Representative Pfluger, Senator Cornyn, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Republican Lead McCaul for their leadership on this extremely important matter.

“Trevor is an American hero who proudly served his country, and the Putin regime has been holding him as a political pawn and hostage for a crime he absolutely did not commit for far too long. I was proud to join my fellow Texans, Senator Cornyn and Rep. Pfluger, Leader McCarthy, and Trevor’s parents to send a strong message to Putin: America will not tolerate his corrupt regime holding U.S. citizens hostage under false pretenses. We will continue our fight every day until we bring Trevor home to his family,” said Congressman McCaul.

“It’s a sham from beginning to end, our son is innocent and he’s being held because he is a former United States Marine,” said Joey Reed.

“It has been a long, hard time to be without him,” said Paula Reed. “It’s not something I’d wish on anyone else.”

We Congressional Leaders have introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation condemning the practice of politically-motivated imprisonment in the Russian Federation, and calling upon the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately release Trevor Reed.