U.S. senators from Washington 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 Washington on the firing of James Comey
Patty Murray (D)
U.S. Senator Patty Murray issued the following comments on Comey's firing via Twitter:
Comey's firing underscores the need for a special prosecutor to examine the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. The public deserves the truth.
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) May 10, 2017
Maria Cantwell (D)
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell issued the following statement in response to Comey's firing on May 9, 2017:
| “ | People are sitting at home, knowing that the Russians have interfered with our elections and now they see that this is the third person that's been fired by this administration. People want to know, was this because someone was closing in on information about that investigation that might have incriminated people within the administration? My constituents want answers about who knew about the Russian interference. My colleagues in the Senate and House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees are going to continue to investigate, but we need a special independent prosecutor to get the answers for the American people and demand accountability.[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
- ↑ U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, "Cantwell 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.
