Fbi Director James Comey found out he was fired by President Trump after watching it on a television news show. Comey was in charge of the bureau's investigation into whether members of Donald Trump's campaign team participated in Russia's interference with the 2016 election.
A political firestorm
The announcement was a political firestorm that sent shock waves throughout the United States and ended the career of a man once seen as non-partisan. The firing of FBI Director James Comey came on the heels of the testimony of Sally Yates to a senate panel.
She is the former Acting Attorney General who was fired by Donald Trump. Yates told the hearing that she had informed the White house on Jan 26 that Flynn was compromised and at risk of blackmail by the Russians. However, Flynn was only fired 18 days later. The firing also came days after Comey testified before the House Intelligence Committee and confirmed that the FBI was investigating Russian interference in the elections and links to persons in the Trump campaign.
The official line on why Comey was fired
The Trump administration has said that the FBI director was let go due to his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server. However, the Democrats aren't buying the explanation, suggesting instead that Comey was fired because his investigation into Russian interference was getting too close to the White House.
Trump's actions were compared to the "Saturday Night Massacare" of 1973 when an independent special prosecutor investigating Watergate was fired by President Richard Nixon.
Why the Democrats are not rejoicing
The democrats were highly critical of Comey's handling of the Clinton email probe and in a recent interview, Hilary Clinton suggested that Comey's decision to announce that the FBI was reopening the investigation into her emails just 11 days before the election had an impact on her election loss.
However, they are not rejoicing but instead say they are troubled by the timing of Trump's actions. Even Senator Richard Burr a Republican, who is overseeing an investigation into Russian interference during the election, expressed concern at the timing of James Comey's firing.
The dismissal letter
The White House released the letter sent by Trump to Comey which read; "It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission." In the letter, Donald Trump said that he appreciated James Comey informing him on three separate occasions that he was not under investigation.
Trump said in the letter that he concurred with the judgement of the Department of Justice that Comey was unable to effectively lead the FBI.
The dismissal letter was delivered to the FBI by Keith Schiller who is a long time personal bodyguard to Trump and the new Director of Oval Office operations in the White House. Comey was not there to receive the letter as he was traveling in Los Angeles when the letter was delivered.
