President Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey

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The Living Force
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http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-09/president-trump-fires-fbi-director-james-comey
President Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey
by Tyler Durden
May 9, 2017 5:50 PM

Update 1: AG Jeff Sessions sent the following statement to all FBI employees tonight:

The President of the United States has exercised his lawful authority to remove James B. Comey, Jr., as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. By operation of law and effective immediately, Deputy of law and effective immediately, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe assumed the position of Acting Director of the FBI.

As you well know, the FBI is an exceptional law enforcement and intelligence agency. It is made so by you, the devoted men and women who work tirelessly to keep our country safe. Thank you for your steadfast dedication and commitment during this time of transition.

* * *

The initially amicable, then increasingly more controversial, contentious and, finally, rancorous relationship between President Donald Trump and FBI Director James Comey has just ended with a bang and with the utterance of Trump's two favorite words: 'You're fired."

According to a statement issued by the White House, the firing of Comey comes at the recommendation of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Below is the full statement from the White House:

Today, President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office. President Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

"The FBI is one of our Nation's most cherished and respected institutions and today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement," said President Trump.

A search for a new permanent FBI Director will begin immediately.

Below is the letter from Sessions to Trump recommending Comey's termination.

In the letter from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he cites the handling of Comey's Clinton investigation, and says that Comey was wrong to cite his conclusions about the Clinton email probe in July of 2016: "I cannot defend the Director's handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton's emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment that he was mistaken," Rosenstein wrote.

Rosenstein was referring to Comey's decision to announce in July last year that the probe of Hillary Clinton should be closed without prosecution, but then declared - 11 days before the Nov. 8 election - that he had reopened the investigation because of a discovery of a new trove of Clinton-related emails. Democrats say the decision cost Clinton victory.

Rosenstein also identified several areas in which he said Comey had erred, saying it was wrong of him to "usurp" then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch's authority by announcing the initial conclusion of the email case on July 5.

Comey "announced his own conclusions about the nation's most sensitive criminal investigation, without the authorization of duly appointed Justice Department leaders," Rosenstein wrote. Comey also "ignored another longstanding principle" by holding a news conference to "release derogatory information about the subject of a declined criminal investigation."

In a separate letter to Comey, Trump said that "you are not able to effectively lead" the FBI, new leadership is needed to restore trust.

More from Trump's letter to Comey:

"... you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately. While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau."

Full Trump letter to Comey below, where amusingly Trump notes that the FBI director told him " on three separate occasions" that he wasn't under investigation.

Comey's firing comes days after he testified on Capitol Hill about the FBI's investigation into Russia's election meddling and possible connections between Russia and Trump's campaign.

Republican Lindsay Senator Graham said after Comey was fired that he believes a "fresh start" will serve the FBI and the nation well and that he encouraged the President "to select the most qualified professional available..."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley also applauded Trump's decision saying "The effectiveness of the FBI depends upon the public trust and confidence. Unfortunately, this has clearly been lost."

Meanwhile, fellow Republican John McCain criticized the firing of the FBI director saying "Comey is a man of honor and integrity, & he has led the FBI well in extraordinary circumstances." McCain added that "The president's decision to remove the FBI Director only confirms the need and the urgency" for a special committee on Russia.

Others were similarly critical, with Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of Senate Intelligence Cmte, saying in a statement that “It is deeply troubling that the president has fired the FBI director during an active counterintelligence investigation into improper contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia,” and adding that “the President’s actions today are shocking."

“Now more than ever, it is vital that our ongoing investigation is completed in a credible and bipartisan way” he said, adding that "we also need to hear directly” from former Director James Comey “about the FBI investigation and related events.” Like McCain, Warner said a special counsel must be appointed.

“That’s the only way the American people will be able to trust the results of any DOJ investigation”:

Elsewhere, Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat on Senate Judiciary Committee, said Trump's actions are “nothing less than Nixonian” and that “given that the Attorney General supposedly recused himself from the Russia investigation, he should not have played any role in removing the lead investigator from his duties."

* * *

Will Trump's termination of Comey be perceived as retribution? It's very likely: recall that two months ago Comey announced that the FBI was investigating alleged coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. Getting rid of Comey would certainly be perceived as one way of putting any FBI probe on indefinite hold. Case in point, the first accuastion of political interference by Trump in the Bureau's work came from none other than Edward Snowden.

Set aside politics: every American should condemn such political interference in the Bureau's work. https://t.co/hROwSMg1vd

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 9, 2017

This FBI Director has sought for years to jail me on account of my political activities. If I can oppose his firing, so can you. https://t.co/zUp5kquy8q

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 9, 2017

Others, like Rep Brad Sherman have immediately called for a Special Counsel to investigate Trump and Russia to answer what's "Trump is trying to hide."

#Trump fires #Comey. No reason given. What’s Trump trying to hide? More than ever, need #SpecialCounsel to investigate Trump and #Russia.

— Rep. Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) May 9, 2017

Former FBI Special Agent Ali Soufan was even more concise: "Independent Commission Now!"

Independent Commission Now!

— Ali H. Soufan (@Ali_H_Soufan) May 9, 2017

Bernie Sanders chimed in too:

Donald Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey raises serious questions about what his administration is hiding.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 9, 2017

It is clear that whomever President Trump handpicks to lead the FBI will not be able to objectively carry out the Russia investigation.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 9, 2017

We need an independent investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 9, 2017

As for Comey's replacement, he or she will need to be confirmed by the Senate, and will only need 51 votes to be confirmed.

* * *

Shortly after the news broke, Former President Barack Obama's White House photographer Pete Souza posted a photo on his Instagram page which included James Comey, and captioned "Every person in this photograph is a patriot." The photo includes Obama, Comey, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Lisa Monaco, former Obama chief Homeland Security and Counterterrorism advisor.

Putting a comical twist on the day's events, even Richard Nixon was trolling Trump, when the @NixonLibrary twitter account revealed that "FUN FACT" that "President Nixon never fired the Director of the FBI #FBIDirector #notNixonian"

FUN FACT: President Nixon never fired the Director of the FBI #FBIDirector #notNixonian pic.twitter.com/PatArKOZlk

— RichardNixonLibrary (@NixonLibrary) May 9, 2017
 
A most interesting development. Ever since he pulled that stunt about Hillary... reopening the investigation and then letting it fizzle, I've had doubts about his fitness for the job. He should have arrested her.
 
Amazing to see the anti-Trumpers and Democrats lose the plot over this! These are the same people who called for Comey's head when the FBI was investigating Clinton! But just because Trump does it and because of the ridiculous "Russia-links" investigation that Comey was part of, it MUST be some kind of skullduggery by Trump! :rolleyes:
 
Joe said:
Amazing to see the anti-Trumpers and Democrats lose the plot over this! These are the same people who called for Comey's head when the FBI was investigating Clinton! But just because Trump does it and because of the ridiculous "Russia-links" investigation that Comey was part of, it MUST be some kind of skullduggery by Trump! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
It should also make the last die-hard Sanders supporting realize that he is not the hope of the future, with his tweet above. Likewise is it clear to me, that Sanders never would have been the president to clean up things, had he been elected as president. He has bent over backwards to accomodate the Clinton machine and the deep state and continues supporting it. The democratic party in the US needs a complete rewamp instead of continuing to pass blame. In a way it is the supporters who need to realize this and wake up to reality. :cuckoo:
 
Laura said:
A most interesting development. Ever since he pulled that stunt about Hillary... reopening the investigation and then letting it fizzle, I've had doubts about his fitness for the job. He should have arrested her.
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Comey exceeded his authority earlier when he let Killary off the hook for illegally running her own private email system while serving as Secretary of State. That was the Attorney General's legal decision, not his call to make.

He later reopened the email investigation likely on the orders of deep state Wall Street banksters, once the severity of Killary's Parkinson's disease became evident in her collapse at the 9/11 memorial event. At that point the deep state had to switch horses to Trump because Killary obviously wasn't competent.
 
griffin said:
Laura said:
A most interesting development. Ever since he pulled that stunt about Hillary... reopening the investigation and then letting it fizzle, I've had doubts about his fitness for the job. He should have arrested her.
Click to expand...
Comey exceeded his authority earlier when he let Killary off the hook for illegally running her own private email system while serving as Secretary of State. That was the Attorney General's legal decision, not his call to make.

He later reopened the email investigation likely on the orders of deep state Wall Street banksters, once the severity of Killary's Parkinson's disease became evident in her collapse at the 9/11 memorial event. At that point the deep state had to switch horses to Trump because Killary obviously wasn't competent.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the likeliest scenario. But it all just makes Comey look like a puppet, a weathervane.
 
I think Comey was good. I guess I'm sad to see him go, as sad as you could be. I feel like a got to know the guy just a bit when I was trying to wrap my head around his dramatic interventions. It felt the FBI was pulling him in many directions, and maybe he wasn't authoritarian enough... although I think he had a good philosophy for the FBI and understanding of his position... it seemed to me from old interviews he gave. The FBI is investigating Trump - Russia ties or something. I think Trump wants a more controllable FBI Director. He demands loyalty. so in that sense it is a bit of a scandal. The FBI should be independent. but the Firing is probably justified on the loss of confidence issue... DOJ recommendation.
 
There's been a few tweets calling for Trey Gowdy to be appointed. A good choice, though the chances of him and Trump butting heads might be even higher.
 
herondancer said:
There's been a few tweets calling for Trey Gowdy to be appointed. A good choice, though the chances of him and Trump butting heads might be even higher.
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I think that Trey Gowdy would be an excellent choice, he has been stonewalled in the past but might get through this one. He is about getting the truth out!
 
scotseeker said:
herondancer said:
There's been a few tweets calling for Trey Gowdy to be appointed. A good choice, though the chances of him and Trump butting heads might be even higher.
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I think that Trey Gowdy would be an excellent choice, he has been stonewalled in the past but might get through this one. He is about getting the truth out!
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Indeed! Gowdy would be a good choice. Just read this german article about the dismissal of Comey.

Other then Trumps making his dismissal public, by sharing the letter he sent to Comey, the article also mentions a number of facts that could have contributed to this decision. One of which is Comeys repeated statements that "there is no evidence that Obama and Co. have wire-tapped Trump's tower". The other piece of data could indeed be the Killary situation and the Comey (or rather the people behind him) blaming russia.

A couple of days ago:

FBI director Comey declares Russia is 'greatest threat of any nation on Earth'
 
According Politico, sources within the White House say that Trump fired Comey not over the Clinton email scandal, but over the slow pace of the Russia investigation. Apparently Trump was very upset that the investigation was still ongoing:

He had grown enraged by the Russia investigation, two advisers said, frustrated by his inability to control the mushrooming narrative around Russia. He repeatedly asked aides why the Russia investigation wouldn't disappear and demanded they speak out for him. He would sometimes scream at television clips about the probe, one adviser said.
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Seems Trump was reacting emotionally without really thinking through what the repercussions of his actions would be (not that Comey didn't deserve to be fired!). Sounds similar to his Syria missile strike to me. His emotional reactivity and anger was something that concerned people during the election process. If he lets his emotions control, it would not be hard to envision him getting upset about something another country did and before anyone can do anything, the US is at war with N. Korea or Russia or China.
 
Throughout his history in business, when push comes to shove, one of the major tools Trump has resorted to to express his power or sense of control over events (or intellectual lack of it) has been to fire people. Instant emotional reward plus confirmation of demanded rather than earned authority and hang the fall out (think Putin and Medvedev). This is the third significant figure who he has chopped and I suspect he underestimates the ever evaporating political capitol this way of doing political business inside the corridors of power will represent going forward. FBI directors are traditionally given 10 years - what kind of candidate will now want to shift onto the firing range with trumps itchy finger hovering over them?
 
White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders says that although Trump was considering firing Comey soon after the inauguration, he wanted to give him a chance despite his reservations. That would indicate that he was not quick on the trigger, but actually gave it some time and some thought.


White House: FBI Leaks ‘One of Many’ Reasons Why James Comey Was Fired

_http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/10/white-house-leaks-one-of-many-reasons-why-james-comey-was-fired/

White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders said that FBI Director James Comey’s inability to control leaks out of the bureau was “one of many” reasons why President Donald Trump decided to fire him.

“I think that’s probably one of the many factors,” Sanders said in response to a question from Breitbart News during the White House press briefing. “I mean you can’t deny somebody that that wasn’t a problem, and so I think that was just another one of many reasons that he no longer had the confidence of the president or the rest of the FBI.”

Trump has repeatedly called attention to FBI leaks to the media about the investigation into his campaign for any collusion with Russia in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Sanders said that director Comey had “essentially taken a stick of dynamite” to the Justice Department after commenting publicly on the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email investigation.

When asked if the president was prepared to fire more officials from the Justice Department, Sanders replied, “Not that I’m aware of today.”

Sanders described a gradual “erosion of trust” surrounding Comey since Trump was inaugurated, and that the president wanted to give him a chance despite the reservations he had about the director. She asserted that it was not true that Trump asked the Justice Department to put together a rationale for Comey’s firing.

“I did speak directly to the president and heard directly from him that he, again, had been considering letting Director Comey go pretty much since the day he took office, but that there was no request by him to have a review at the Department of Justice,” she said.

She said she was “surprised” by Democrats rushing to defend Comey, despite their insistence that he directly contributed to Hillary Clinton’s failure to win the presidency.

“If Hillary Clinton had won the election, which thank God she didn’t, but if she had and she had been in the same position, she had have fired Comey immediately and the very Democrats that are criticizing the president today would be dancing in the streets celebrating.”
 
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