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U.S. senators from Missouri 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 Missouri on the firing of James Comey

    Roy Blunt (R)

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

    “ Director Comey has served the country well in a number of different roles. Many, including myself, have questioned his actions more than once over the past year. I believe new leadership at the FBI will restore confidence in the organization and among the people who do the hard work to carry out its mission.[5][6] ”

    Claire McCaskill (D)

    According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill made the following comments regarding Comey's firing:

    “ 'As a former prosecutor, this is very troubling, because investigations have to be free of political interference,' Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said. 'They have to follow the facts no matter where they lead. And I think that for the attorney general, who has recused himself from an investigation, to recommend the firing of the head of that investigation is, [to] the prosecutor in me, it is really a giant red flag and very, very troubling.'

    She, too, called for an independent investigation and said it was too early to focus on Comey’s replacement.

    'I think we are enveloped in a crisis of confidence in law enforcement right now, and I think we need to wait and see,' McCaskill said.[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 Roy Blunt, "Blunt Statement on 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. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Blunt proceeds cautiously on Comey firing, but some colleagues want independent probes," May 10, 2017
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