President Trump Fires F.B.I. Chief James Comey

He weathered a contentious election season—to which he added no small measure of conflict—and the tumultuous transition that ensued from the Obama administration to the Trump White House, but as of Tuesday, F.B.I. Director James Comey was obliged to step down from his post.

The reason? According to officials from the current regime, it once again came down to Hillary Clinton’s infamous emails.

The New York Times relayed word that President Trump fired Comey over his handling of the investigation into the former secretary of state’s use of a private email server for State Department-related communications

Mr. Comey was leading an investigation into whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau,” Mr. Trump said in a letter to Mr. Comey dated Tuesday.

“It is essential that we find new leadership for the F.B.I. that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission,” Mr. Trump wrote.

… Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon and a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a post on Twitter that Mr. Comey “should be immediately called to testify in an open hearing about the status of Russia/Trump investigation at the time he was fired.

The paper also reported that the newly installed Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein advised the president to oust Comey.

—Posted by Kasia Anderson

Related Entries

• May 9, 2017 Forbidden Questions: 24 Key Issues Ignored by the Washington Elite and the Media
• May 9, 2017 Sen. Bernie Sanders Criticized for Signing Pro-Israel Senate Letter