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U.S. senators from New Hampshire 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. Senators from New Hampshire on the firing of James Comey
Maggie Hassan (D)
According to The Washington Post, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan issued the following response to Comey's firing:
| “ | President Trump’s abrupt decision to fire FBI Director Comey raises many serious questions. The American people deserve a full accounting of the process that went into this decision and deserve to know whether the FBI’s ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election had any influence on the President’s action. This episode reinforces the need for both a special prosecutor as well as a thorough Congressional investigation to get to the bottom of Russia’s interference and any connection to President Trump’s campaign in order to ensure complete confidence in our democratic institutions.
It is essential that the next FBI director be able to demonstrate true independence from the political influence of this Administration and commit to following the facts of any ongoing or future investigations, no matter where they lead. [5][6] |
” |
Jeanne Shaheen (D)
According to The Washington Post, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen issued the following response to Comey's firing:
| “ | President Trump’s firing of FBI Director Comey is very disturbing and opens a Pandora’s box of additional questions regarding the ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. This unprecedented interference by the President of the United States in an ongoing criminal investigation leaves no doubt that the only way to uncover the truth about Russian interference in our election is with an independent investigation. It’s well past time for Republicans in Congress to put country above party and support the appointment of an independent counsel. The American public has a right to know to what end Russia interfered in our election. Now more than ever, there should be a bipartisan agreement to get to the bottom of this.[5][6] | ” |
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
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Washington Post, "Comey firing: Reaction from members of Congress on FBI director’s dismissal," May 9, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
