FBI Director James Comey Fired Amid Russia Investigation
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It was an early departure for James Comey in Los Angeles Tuesday night as he prepared to speak with FBI recruits. Multiple sources, including the Los Angeles Times, report Comey was getting ready for his speech when he saw on the Television News a news flash that he had been fired. Comey, sources say, thought it was a prank. It wasn't.
President Donald Trump fired the FBI Director, the White House says, because he "had no choice."
"As President of the United States he needs confidence in his FBI Director and he doesn't have it", Trump adviser Kelly Ann Conway told CNN.
Leading Democrats immediately began to cry foul. Many are calling for a special investigation into the reasons and the timing of the firing.
"Shocked would be a gross understatement...this was -- didn't see this coming..it's obviously outrageous", Senator Mark Warner said. Other lawmakers allege the President simply got rid of the man investigating whether he was improperly aided by the Russians in last November's election.
Comey's firing came less than an hour after the FBI released a statement saying he had made misleading claims about Hillary Clinton's former aide's emails.
CBS13 reached out to a former FBI Agent, now living in the Sacramento area. "A little bit of a shocker," James Wedick tells us. "I don't think anybody at the bureau saw this coming, particularly the field agents."
Neither did Comey, according to those who saw his reaction.
