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U.S. senators from Minnesota 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]

HIGHLIGHTS
  • President Donald Trump (R) fired FBI Director James Comey on May 9, 2017.
  • Comey's firing occurred in the midst of the FBI's investigation into Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential election.
  • According to the memo recommending his removal, Comey's firing stemmed from his handling of the investigation into former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's private email server.
  • 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.

    • 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. Senators from Minnesota on the firing of James Comey

    Amy Klobuchar (D)

    U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar issued the following statement following Comey's firing on May 9, 2017:

    “ The dismissal of the FBI Director raises serious questions, especially as Trump campaign officials are under investigation by the FBI. The American people deserve the facts and to know that decisions made by the Department of Justice are based on those facts, no matter who and no matter what they might lead to. This is clear: We need an independent commission and a special prosecutor to get to the bottom of Russian interference in our election.[5] [6] ”

    Al Franken (D)

    U.S. Senator Al Franken released the following statement regarding Comey's firing on May 9, 2017:

    “ It is deeply troubling that President Trump just fired the person in charge of investigating his ties to Russia, and the President's stated reasons for firing Director Comey are difficult to believe.

    We know that the Russians interfered in the 2016 election, that they did so to undermine confidence in American democracy, and that they wanted Donald Trump to become President. The intelligence community has confirmed that.

    I am also deeply troubled by the fact that Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who pledged to recuse himself from the Russia investigation because of his own Russia connections, involved himself in Director Comey's firing. This is a complete betrayal of his commitment to the public that he wouldn't be involved in the investigation.

    We cannot trust an investigation led by this administration. And it's now clearer than ever that we need an independent investigation into Trump's ties to Russia.[7][6]

    		”

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ The New York Times, "F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump," May 9, 2017
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 CNN, "Trump: I was going to fire Comey regardless of DOJ recommendation," May 11, 2017
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 NPR, "'I Will Be Fine,' Comey Reportedly Tells FBI Agents In Farewell Letter," May 10, 2017
    4. ↑ The Atlantic, "The House Demands to See the Comey Memos," May 16, 2017
    5. ↑ U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, "Klobuchar on Dismissal of FBI Director James Comey," May 9, 2017
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    7. ↑ U.S. Senator Al Franken, "Sen. Franken’s Statement on President Trump’s Firing of FBI Director Comey" May 9, 2017
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