U.S. senators from Nebraska on the firing of James Comey
 |
118th • 117th • 116th • 115th • 114th • 113th • 112th • 111th • 110th |
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. Senators from Nebraska on the firing of James Comey
Ben Sasse (R)
U.S. Senator Ben Sasse issued the following statement regarding Comey's firing on May 9, 2017:
| “ | Regardless of how you think Director Comey handled the unprecedented complexities of the 2016 election cycle, the timing of this firing is very troubling. Jim Comey is an honorable public servant, and in the midst of a crisis of public trust that goes well beyond who you voted for in the presidential election, the loss of an honorable public servant is a loss for the nation. As the chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Oversight Subcommittee, I have reached out to the Deputy Attorney General for clarity on his rationale for recommending this action.[5][6] | ” |
According to ABC News, Sasse made the following comments regarding reports 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:
| “ | 'It is really troubling if you have a situation where it seems like there’s political interference in decision-making about investigation and prosecution,' said Sasse. ... 'The FBI must be an agency that the American people can trust and can know it is insulated from politics. The FBI director has a 10-year tenure for a reason. The public needs to understand why this should not be a blue or red jersey-wearing partisan in that job.'[7][6] | ” |
Deb Fischer (R)
According to the Lincoln Journal Star, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer made the following comments regarding Comey's firing:
| “ | Asked about President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey, Fischer said one only needs to look at the statement prepared by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein assessing Comey's performance to see 'the reasons why the director was fired.'[6] | ” |
See also
- Congressional responses to the firing of James Comey
- 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. Senator Ben Sasse, "Sasse Statement on Comey Firing," May 9, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ ABC News, "Sen. Ben Sasse: Comey memo 'troubling' if true," May 18, 2017
