U.S. House members from Kentucky on the firing of James Comey
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President Donald Trump (R) fired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey on May 9, 2017. Trump stated in a letter that he no longer had confidence in Comey's ability to lead the agency.[1]
Comey's dismissal occurred after Trump received a memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to Attorney General Jeff Sessions recommending Comey's removal. According to the memo, Rosenstein recommended Comey's ouster due to what Rosenstein and his colleagues viewed as mistaken actions taken by Comey during the course of the investigation into former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's private email server. Trump later stated that he had lost confidence in Comey's ability to lead the agency and had made the decision to fire Comey prior to receiving the memo. According to White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the memo was the "final straw that pushed [Trump]" to remove Comey from the post.[2][3]
Comey's dismissal sparked varying responses from congressional members. Many Democrats and Republicans expressed concern over the firing in light of the FBI's ongoing investigation into Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential election. Others supported Trump's decision, stating that he had acted within his authority as president and citing many Democrats' prior condemnations of Comey during the course of the Clinton email investigation. Comey's removal also sparked calls from a number of Democrats to appoint a special prosecutor to lead the FBI's Russia investigation.[2][3]
On May 16, 2017, The New York Times reported that Comey had penned a memo documenting a conversation in which Trump allegedly asked Comey to halt an investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. The report generated additional responses by congressional members.[4]
U.S. House members from Kentucky on the firing of James Comey
Brett Guthrie (R), Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District
U.S. Representative Brett Guthrie released the following statement regarding Comey's firing on May 11, 2017:
| “ | President Trump has the right to replace the FBI director. I respect his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, and I look forward to working with the new director following confirmation. Unfortunately, prior to this week's news, it was clear that Director Comey had lost the trust of members on both sides of the aisle. With high stakes investigations ongoing, it is imperative for the leader of the FBI to be free from political controversy.
While we wait to find out who President Trump nominates for this position, the highly professional FBI staff will continue their work on a number of important investigations, along with both the House Intelligence Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which are conducting thorough, bipartisan investigations into national security matters. While I am not a member of these committees, I know many of the members who are, and I have full confidence in their ability to conduct their respective investigations independently.[5][6] |
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See also
- Donald Trump firing of FBI Director James Comey, 2017-2018
- House Intelligence Committee investigation on Russian activity in 2016 presidential election
- Hillary Clinton email investigation
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump," May 9, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 CNN, "Trump: I was going to fire Comey regardless of DOJ recommendation," May 11, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 NPR, "'I Will Be Fine,' Comey Reportedly Tells FBI Agents In Farewell Letter," May 10, 2017
- ↑ The Atlantic, "The House Demands to See the Comey Memos," May 16, 2017
- ↑ Congressman Brett Guthrie, "Guthrie Statement on Firing of FBI Director James Comey," May 11, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
