U.S. House members from Ohio 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 Ohio on the firing of James Comey
Tim Ryan (D), Ohio's 13th Congressional District
U.S. Representative Tim Ryan released the following statement in response to Comey's firing on May 9, 2017:
| “ | The firing of FBI Director James Comey is yet another disturbing development in the matter of Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, and President Trump's lack of transparency regarding his financial entanglements and dealings with Russia. While I had my disagreements with the Director over certain issues, the nature of the position is that it be insulated from political pressures, that is why it is a ten year term of office. His firing signals a very dark day for the independent nature of the FBI's work, and further undermines the American people's trust in our institutions. The time has long since passed to investigate this matter in an independent, nonpartisan way. This development makes clear that we must appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Trump-Russia ties. The American people deserve the truth.[5][6] | ” |
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
- ↑ U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, "Congressman Tim Ryan Statement on the Firing of FBI Director James Comey," May 9, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
