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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 10 May 2017
Trump axes Comey, FBI director who figured in election

By JULIE PACE That appointment does not
AP WH Correspondent ensure a director will serve
WASHINGTON (AP) — the full 10 years, though
President Donald Trump Comey is only the second
abruptly fired FBI Director FBI chief to be fired.
James Comey Tuesday, But his prominent role in
ousting the nation’s top the 2016 presidential cam-
law enforcement official paign raised questions
in the midst of an inves- about his judgment and
tigation by the agency impartiality. Though the
into whether Trump’s cam- FBI did not recommend
paign had ties to Russia’s charges against Clinton for
election meddling. mishandling classified infor-
In a letter to Comey, Trump mation, Comey was blister-
said the firing was neces- ingly critical of her decision
sary to restore “public trust to use a personal email ac-
and confidence” in the FBI. count and private internet
Comey has come under sever during her four years
intense scrutiny in recent as secretary of state.
months for his role in an in- Clinton has partially
vestigation into Democrat
Hillary Clinton’s email prac- blamed her loss on Com-
ey’s disclosure to Congress
tices, including a pair of In this Wednesday, May 3, 2017, photo then-FBI Director James Comey pauses as he testifies on
letters he sent to Congress Capitol Hill in Washington, before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. President Donald Trump less than two weeks before
Election Day that the email
abruptly fired Comey on May 9, ousting the nation’s top law enforcement official in the midst of an
on the matter in the closing investigation into whether Trump’s campaign had ties to Russia’s election meddling.
days of last year’s election. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) investigation would be re-
Trump made no mention of visited. q
Comey’s role in the Clinton of emails found on the lap-
investigation, which she top had been forwarded
has blamed in part for the there while most had sim-
election result that put him ply been backed up from
in the White House. But in electronic devices.
announcing the firing, the Most of the email chains
White House circulated a on the laptop containing
scathing memo, written by classified information were
deputy Attorney General not the result of forward-
Rod Rosenstein, criticizing ing, the FBI said.
Comey’s handling of the Some lawmakers in both
Clinton probe, including parties welcomed news
the director’s decision to of the dismissal, an indica-
hold a news conference tion of the broad concern
announcing its findings in Washington surrounding
and releasing “derogatory Comey’s tenure at the FBI.
information” about Clin- “Given the recent con-
ton. troversies surrounding the
The president asserted director, I believe a fresh
Comey informed him “on
three separate occasions start will serve the FBI and
that I am not under inves- the nation well,” said Re-
tigation.” publican Lindsay Graham
The White House said the of South Carolina, chair-
search for a new FBI direc- man of a Senate Judiciary
tor was beginning immedi- subcommittee investigat-
ately. ing Russian interference in
Tuesday’s stunning an- the 2016 presidential elec-
nouncement came shortly tion.
after the FBI corrected Sen. Dianne Feinstein of
a sentence in Comey’s California, the top Demo-
sworn testimony on Capi- crat on the Judiciary Com-
tol Hill last week. Comey mittee, said Trump called
told lawmakers that Huma her Tuesday afternoon to
Abedin, a top aide to Hill- inform her of his decision.
ary Clinton, had sent “hun- “The next FBI director must
dreds and thousands” of be strong and indepen-
emails to her husband’s dent and will receive a fair
laptop, including some hearing in the Judiciary
with classified information. Committee,” she said in a
On Tuesday, the FBI said in statement.
a two-page letter to the Comey, 56, was nominat-
Senate Judiciary Com- ed by President Barack
mittee that only “a small Obama for the FBI post in
number” of the thousands 2013 to a 10-year term.