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U.S. House members from Mississippi 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. House members from Mississippi on the firing of James Comey
Steven Palazzo (R), Mississippi's 4th Congressional District
According to WLOX ABC 13, U.S. Representative Steven Palazzo made the following comments regarding Comey's firing:
| “ | 'He's basically politicized the FBI,' Palazzo said. 'The Republicans think he mishandled the scandal with Hillary Clinton's server. The Democrats are upset with how he injected the conversation in the last election, so I think Comey himself has lost the faith and confidence in the American people and he had to be removed.'
With a changing of the guard the top of the FBI, Palazzo doesn't think it will impact the Russian investigation. He also believes much of the talk about possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia is politically motivated 'Probably the same people who are using this Russian collusion story are the same one's who are wanting me to do town halls,' Palazzo said. 'I don't see it, there's been no evidence presented, and this is not going to effect the investigation at all.'[5][6] |
” |
Bennie Thompson (D), Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District
According to the Jackson Free Press, U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson made the following remarks regarding Comey's firing:
| “ | 'In my estimation, the president is just trying to get rid of anybody that's looking into the Russians hacking into the election, and the best way to do it is to get rid of the man at the top,' Thompson told reporters after the town hall. 'What we've done historically in this country is not politicize the FBI. We let them do their job, and they go where the facts lead them—and if the facts lead to some of Trump's individuals involved in it, then so be it.'[7][6] | ” |
See also
- Donald Trump firing of FBI Director James Comey, 2017-2018
- 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
- ↑ WLOX ABC 13, "Rep. Palazzo talks issues on Capitol Hill," May 12, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jackson Free Press, "Rep. Bennie Thompson Speaks on 'Trumpcare,' Reasons for Comey Firing," May 12, 2017