Congressional delegation questions Comey firing

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Coons

Both U.S. senators and the state’s House member  questioned the abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey by President Donald Trump.

U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a senior member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following  statement:

“I am shocked by President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, and I am deeply concerned about what it means for the ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in our last presidential election.   

Carper

“President Trump’s decision today raises more questions than it answers. What changed since the president took office for him to lose confidence in Director Comey’s ability to do the job? Why did Attorney General Sessions, who has recused himself from the investigation into Russia’s interference into the presidential election, recommend Director Comey be fired or have any role in that decision?

“Now more than ever, it should be clear we must appoint a special counsel to finish the job in order to ensure that any findings about Russia’s influence in the last election are not clouded by partisan controversy. In addition, as we move forward with a new FBI Director, Democrats and Republicans must come together to ensure that he or she is beyond reproach, eminently qualified and totally independent in thought and deed.”

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U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee,  also released the following:

“President Trump’s abrupt firing of FBI Director Comey and his brief public letter raises more questions than it answers.  The reasons the Trump administration cites for this action have long been public: Director Comey made announcements about the investigation into Secretary Clinton’s emails that departed from longstanding FBI and DOJ guidance in the summer and fall of 2016.  While Director Comey has rightly been questioned and criticized for those actions, months have gone by without any action from the Trump administration.  Director Comey has also recently publicly confirmed that the FBI is currently investigating potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. 

“The President should provide a prompt, full and public explanation of why he decided to take this step, and Director Comey should be recalled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about whether the ongoing investigation has been compromised.  Russian interference in our democracy is one of the most important threats facing the United States, and this action by President Trump may make it more difficult for us to get to the bottom of how Russia interfered in our election and how we should respond to keep our future elections safe.”

U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester offered the following statement:

“Firing Director Comey at a time when the FBI is investigating Russian ties to the Trump campaign and the presidential election is suspect to say the least. Furthermore, Attorney General Sessions rightly recused himself from any investigation into cooperation between the Trump campaign and Russia, yet he made a recommendation to President Trump that Director Comey be fired. Rather than building confidence and providing Congress – and the American people with answers, we are left only with more questions as a result of the actions of the Trump Administration.”

“What we know for sure is that there has never been a more pressing time for a special prosecutor and an independent investigation into Russian ties to President Trump and the presidential election. Calmer heads must prevail and we must put politics aside to protect our democracy. We cannot allow public trust in the Department of Justice or in our government as a whole to be eroded because partisanship is prioritized over the truth. The American people deserve answers, and we in Congress must do everything in our power to ensure they get them.”

 

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