Firing Of FBI Director James Comey A Bit 'Senseless And Strange'
DETROIT (CBS DETROIT) - FBI Director James Comey has been fired by President Donald Trump.
The dismissal comes as the FBI is investigating any Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and any Russian ties to Trump associates. Comey had most recently come under fire for misstating how many sensitive emails Huma Abedin, an aide to Hillary Clinton, forwarded to her husband, Anthony Weiner.
Eastern Michigan University Political Science Professor Ed Sidlow expects the next few days to be "interesting" following the firing of Comey:
"The Trump administration does not have a good record on filling vacant positions that they've been trying to fill now for months on end," said Sidlow. "I don't expect this to go quickly and I don't expect it to go easily, quite frankly."
He says President Trump criticized the now-former FBI Director when he announced there would be no charges against Hillary Clinton and her use of a private email server.
In a letter today, the White House says Comey 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 cronw jewel of law enforcement," said President Trump."
"To suggest that something the FBI Director did last July that Donald Trump the candidate celebrated, reveled in - for days, if not weeks -- to now turn around nearly a year later and say that's the reason we are firing you today - is a bit senseless and strange ..."
Comey has been widely criticized for his public statement just before the election that the FBI was reopening the case against then presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in connection with using private email for classified information while in office.
Most recently Comey has been central into the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and other Russian involvement post-election within the Trump administration.
