U.S. House members from New Jersey 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 New Jersey on the firing of James Comey
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D), New Jersey's 12th Congressional District
U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman issued the following statement regarding Comey's firing on May 10, 2017:
| “ | On the heels of FBI Director James Comey’s testimony that confirmed an active investigation into this Administration’s ties to Russia, business entanglements and conflicts of interest - the President has fired Director Comey. It is extremely suspicious and troubling that in the midst of growing questions about the Trump Administration’s ties to Russia’s interference into our democracy, Attorney General Sessions, who recused himself, could recommend the dismissal of the person in charge of carrying out that very investigation.
Who is now in charge of this investigation? We are well beyond the point of a special prosecutor. I have zero confidence in the ability of any Trump-appointed FBI Director to independently carry out the numerous and forthcoming investigations surrounding this President and his associates. It has never been clearer that we need to appoint an independent commission and I invite my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to echo this call. The tale of a President firing the person in charge of leading an investigation against the Executive Branch is, unfortunately, written in America’s history books. We know how this ends.[5][6] |
” |
Frank LoBiondo (R), New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District
U.S. Representative Frank LoBiondo made the following comments regarding Comey's firing via Twitter:
Bipartisan Congressional investigations will continue. Actively seeking additional info on President's decision before commenting further.
— Frank LoBiondo (@RepLoBiondo) May 9, 2017
Frank Pallone Jr. (D), New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District
U.S. Representative Frank Pallone Jr. made the following comments regarding Comey's firing via Twitter:
The firing of #JamesComey is the latest, & perhaps most clear, example of the Trump admin's actions to impede accountability & transparency.
— Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) May 9, 2017
Bill Pascrell Jr. (D), New Jersey's 9th Congressional District
U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell made the following comments regarding Comey's firing via Twitter:
This isn't an episode of The Apprentice. In order to protect our most respected institutions, maybe it's Mr. Trump who should be fired.
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) May 9, 2017
Donald Norcross (D), New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District
U.S. Representative Donald Norcross made the following comments regarding Comey's firing via Twitter:
It's the Saturday Night Massacre redux. (President firing the head of the agency investigating him.) #TrumpRussia #TrumpNixon #Russiagate
— Donald Norcross (@DonaldNorcross) May 9, 2017
See also
- 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
- ↑ U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, "Rep. Watson Coleman Statement on Abrupt, Suspicious Firing of FBI Director James Comey," May 10, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
