Skepticism and distrust greeted President Donald Trump's decision to fire FBI director #James Comey on Tuesday when the decision was announced. Politicians, lawmakers and even Republicans themselves spoke out about the President's decision as the media tried to piece together the White House's reasoning for the sudden move.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that only days prior to his firing, the former #FBI director had made a request to the #Justice Department for a weighty increase in funds for his bureau’s examination and investigation of potential #Russian interference in the 2016 US election; this, as four congressional officials told the New York Times; one of them being Senator Richard Durbin.
Comey had, according to these same sources, made his request to the deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein. This was the same Mr Rosenstein who penned the memo – from the Justice Department – that was sourced as a reason to fire Comey this week, the sources also added.
Durbin on Tuesday told the media: “I think the Comey operation was breathing down the neck of the Trump campaign and their operatives, and this was an effort to slow down the investigation.”
A spokeswoman from the Justice Department called Sarah Isgur Flores, however, said that very notion that Comey requested more funding for any #Russia investigation was not true and in fact “totally false.” She would not elaborate any further on the matter.
Comey briefed Congress
In the last few days #Comey had briefed members of Congress, describing his meeting with Rosenstein, who replaced Jeff Sessions when he was recused from the Russia investigation. As a result, #Rosenstein is the utmost senior law enforcement official overseeing the FBI's Russia investigation and was admired by both Democrats and Republicans alike for his fairness and impartiality.
Trump had said that Comey was not doing a good job, but with the timing of his firing it is clear that questions need to be asked about the Trump-Russia connection and the 2016 US election. Many in intelligence and political circles claim that there needs to be an independent prosecutor or panel to oversee the Russia investigation and that it has become far too serious and complicated and has even crossed partisan lines to attract the concern from both Democrats and Republicans.
Certainly, it appears that President Donald Trump could be potentially interfering in an important national investigation that he plays a part in, one that could possibly damage his presidency.
The Congress Comey briefing
When he briefed Congress, Comey had mentioned his frustration with the lack of resources being dedicated to the Russia investigation, as two anonymous officials told the New York Times this week. Comey in fact had been hoping to admire Rosenstein and to find him a source of support in his job; as such the FBI director had asked for more resources so he could build momentum in the investigation. Nothing has been reported about Rosenstein's response to this request or whether the White House knew anything about it.
Who is James Comey?
James Comey is known to be an extremely independent non-partisan official with an incredible amount of power. He established himself by standing up tot the administration of George W Bush around matters of surveillance and the law. His handling of the Clinton private email investigation during the election proves, according to his aides, that he is equally willing to criticize the Democratic presidential nominee.
Trump claims that Comey's termination is due to his mishandling of the Clinton investigation. In fact, the #White House has taken great pains to insist that it has nothing to do with Russia… which, of course, most of America need to be convinced of.
