Breaking: FBI Director James Comey Has Been Fired
FBI Director James Comey has been fired according to the White House.
The announcement which was made via a press statement, announced that President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office.
“The FBI is one of our Nation’s most cherished and respected institutions and today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement,” said President Trump.
The firing, reportedly recommended by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, comes after a troubled year for Comey, where he started investigations not just once, but multiple times against Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton, and his recent FBI investigation over President Trump’s alleged links to Russia.
In addition to the statement, the White House also made public the letter President Trump wrote James Comey directly – dismissing him “effective immediately.”
“While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau,” Trump wrote.
The acting FBI Director is now Andrew McCabe, who was Comey’s deputy prior to his firing. The attorney general will likely name an interim FBI Director in the coming days.
James Comey was appointed to head the FBI by then-President Barack Obama in September 2013. FBI Directors typically serve a 10-year term, but with Comey’s firing today, he would have served less than four of his ten year term.