U.S. senators from Wyoming 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 Wyoming on the firing of James Comey
John Barrasso (R)
In a statement to the Casper Star Tribune, U.S. Senator John Barrasso made the following comments regarding Comey's removal:
| “ | 'I may not have always agreed with Director Comey’s actions, but I am grateful for his many years of service to our country,' he said in a statement sent by his spokeswoman. 'I have full faith in the men and women of the FBI to begin rebuilding trust and confidence. All FBI investigations will continue without politics getting in the way of facts.'[5][6] | ” |
Mike Enzi (R)
In a statement to the Casper Star Tribune, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi made the following comments regarding Comey's removal:
| “ | The dismissal of the FBI director is nothing to be taken lightly, but it is clear that James Comey lost the confidence of not only his superiors at the Department of Justice, but also the president. . . . I will leave it to the Administration to answer questions about its decision. It will be the Senate’s role to confirm the nominee for this post, so I look forward to reviewing the qualifications of whomever the president submits. It’s vital our nation be confident in the fairness and independence of our top law enforcement agency.[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 Star Valley Independent, "Wyoming’s Congressional Delegation issues responses to dismissal of FBI Director," May 11, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
