Newly retired Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Jones has penned an open letter to Idaho’s congressional delegation warning about the dangers of appeasing Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin. “Now that I am no longer wearing a robe, I plan to join in the public discourse,” Jones said.

In his open letter, he writes, “The question is not whether Russia was able to affect the outcome of the election. The election has been decided and nothing will change that. What is essential is that we find out everything we can about Russia’s cyber activities, act decisively to defend against future cyberattacks, and implement measures to deter any further malicious activities by Putin and his cronies.”

He adds, “Vladimir Putin is not a friend of the United States. Indeed, he has taken every opportunity in recent years to vilify the United States in order to increase his popularity at home. The Russian people have endured great financial hardship as a result of Putin’s misconduct and Putin has conveniently blamed it all on the United States. This is a routine ploy for a dictator.” You can read the full letter here.