Image of James Comey by Gary Cameron/Reuters - Link
Introduction
Nobody could failed to have heard the news that Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey.
It appears that Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein recommended the dismissal in a series of letters which I will include excerpts from below.
Rosenstein's letter (to Sessions) was somewhat lengthy and went into the most detail. According to him:
"The Director was wrong to usurp the Attorney General's authority on July 5, 2016 and announce his conclusion that the (Clinton) case should be closed without prosecution."
"Compounding the error, the Director ignored another longstanding principle; we don't hold press conferences to release derogatory information about the subject of a declined criminal investigation.......The Director laid out his version of the facts for the news media as if it were a closing argument but without a trial. It is a textbook example of what federal prosecutors and agents are taught not to do."
There is a lot more information in the actual letter which basically outlines how Comey's announcements and his later behaviour were not only procedurally wrong but brought disrepute both to his office and the FBI.
It appears that the Sessions' letter to Trump was a response to Rosenstein's advice:
"The Director of the FBI must be someone who follows faithfully the rules and principles of the Department of Justice and who sets the right example for our law enforcement officials and others in the Department. Therefore I must recommend that you remove Director James B Comey Jr and identify an experienced and qualified individual to lead the great men and women of the FBI."
Trump's letter to Comey stated:
"I have received the attached letters from the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the United States recommending your dismissal as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I have accepted their recommendation and you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately."
I will include the full scans of the letters which were provided on Scribd by Brett LoGiurato - please scroll down to read them.
My Thoughts
I can understand why people are saying that this looks bad.
It may be said that this sacking is very convenient for Trump given the fact that Comey was investigating the accusations of Russian interference in last year's election.
The big question I have is, how much of a choice did Trump have in this? I suspect he would have been under a lot of pressure to follow the AG and Deputy AG's recommendations.
I don't know enough about the US presidential process to say if he could have gone against their advice.
It could be considered an impossible to win situation for Trump though:
If Trump fires Comey he gets accused of opportunism, if he keeps him on he could get accused of ignoring the expert advice of the AG/DAG and failing to fire an incompetent FBI director.
Either way he gets criticised by his opponents for making the wrong decision.
One further accusation might have been that he was keeping on someone who had helped him to win the election - that has been one of the assertions that the Democratic party have been making all along.
It is also funny how the Democrats are now suddenly Comey's best friend. They were cursing him before all of this happened.
Is it any wonder that people are so cynical of anything that comes out of politician's mouths these days?
Anyway have a read of the letters below and please let me know your thoughts in the comments.
(BTW - I shouldn't need to say this but before the rabid anti-Trump people accuse me of being a Trump supporter I can categorically state that I am not. I just don't like the political shenanigans that seem to occur on a constant basis. This kind of nonsense detracts from the really important issues that affect people's lives.)
Press Secretary's Statement
Trump's Letter to Comey
Sessions' Letter to Trump
Rosenstein's Letter to Sessions
Thank you for reading
I'll show you my feels:
#draintheswamp
#LockHerUp
lol
It's a bit early to say that IMO.
@thecryptofiend .. no thoughts just emotions .. not very positive so I didn't harbor ..pointless ..aren't they both on the same side but am amazed that all those letters are thrown out and can be accessed publicly - that's a bit scary
I'm not a fan of any of them! I think the letters would be public property so not anything surprising that they are available.
@thecryptofiend me neither .. and I wonder if its actually real news
The #DraintheSwamp can now commence! Check Donnies twitter feed! He's slaying everyone this morning!
I am not a fan to be honest.
That's ok, I still like reading your stuff and we can still be friends! 😉 God bless ya bud!
Lol of course and Trump may surprise me :)
He will. Don't fall for the Media propaganda. I'm not sure of your religious background but check this video out. Could change your mind. I'll post the follow up video in a few.
He has surprised me enough already.
Best thing that happen now go after Hillary Clinton for all the corruption she did.
They won't go after her.
I say its about freaking time, they got rid of him. I say kudos to the President. Lets make America GREAT AGAIN!
I doubt it will happen but we'll have to see.
I was born within the imaginary borders of the US, but I do not consider myself part of Corp. US, any more than I consider myself part of Walmart. If Walmart changes their security director, what does that have to do with me?... nothing! I am a man and my only authority is my Creator and my laws are... Do no harm to my fellow man, live in peace with my fellow man and honor my contracts with my fellow man... to hell with the evils of all governments! We DO NOT NEED THEM!
I don't have faith in anything in D.C. I understand that Trump has promised to "drain the swamp" but pardon me for taking a wait and see approach. It hasn't mattered which party controls the White House, the House or Senate, we just keep seeing the same stuff... war, debt, increased spending and the Constitution being shredded.
Yes.
All I can say is.... that cat is so cute :(
Thanks!
Trump, Sessions, Comey - all these heavy-hitters - I bet they secretly waste hours every day looking at fluffy kittens on social media... well maybe not.
I hope they do!
My views on that are very nicely put as so often on antiwar.com and Ron Paul did a whole video on it in his liberty report. All in all, I don't shed a tear for any of these people losing their corrupt job.
https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2017/05/10/ron-paul-comey-fired-now-fire-the-fbi/
Furthermore I want to say, that I can only shake my head relating to the hypocrisy of all those people, who are crying foul play now, while they screeched for Comey to leave because he was "investigating" Hillary Clinton last year, as if he wasn't protecting instead of smearing her. Again many showed how they're either naive pawns, or willful tools.
This clearly shows how much fear trump have... it is a truly shocking and desperate move that throws law enforcement institutions of the country into serious question.
Exactely!
I understand what you are saying but all the investigations at the FBI will still continue.
But this thing will be always be back of their mind... total freedom is lost... they will first fear for their JOB....
I doubt the FBI directors think like that.
I hope they don't... but this influence to some extent i guess...
In fact dictators do same.
https://steemit.com/politics/@hastla/breaking-trump-informed-fbi-director-comey-that-he-has-been-terminated-and-removed-from-office
But do you think he had any other choice? If Trump did nothing he might have been condemned for that - probably most of all by the Democrats.
What count here in a public job like he has is the damn sentence "when you have done nothing you have nothing to hide" - demolition of the state ground fundamentals should give every American red signs. Just look to Turkey or a few other countries - you see it live.
I agree that transparency is necessary but this is not demolition of the state. You can read the letters for yourself.
It looks like catch22. It seems he was following the recommendations as you said.
Yes.
Term "Pulling a Comey"
Example: "She was doing 90MPH in a school zone, ran over two elderly people with while clearly snorting coke from her dash board, but I am not going to recommend charging her."
I wonder if pulling a Comey would affect your or my job if we were to come out with such a smug statement. Trump did the common sense thing. He looks stupid doing it so late - really stupid.
"There was no clear evidence that showed her intent to crush these people under her car so the law does not apply"
Lol I like the example!
I'm so going to use your example whenever opportunity strikes.
Trump needs to drain the swap not fill it like has been doing with his appointments. The roots of the deep state are much too embedded in corruption that control congress. The fish rots from the head, and no President can save the system. An overhaul of the broken system is URGENTLY required.
Yes his appointments have been a source of criticism. I don't think a President necessarily has as much power when it comes to cleaning things up as people think. It is so deeply ingrained in the system I am not sure how anyone can get rid of it. Further I am not convinced that Trump is interested in cleaning things up anyway.
I couldn't agree more. You'll the sad truth, that all elites in every country, are puppets to a higher power. We, the people are seen as pawns. The circus that is known as the political arena, is just for show. It keeps the masses in constant fear and begging for the state to lead them into the light.
They are all parasites, only love and knowledge can save the world ! Thanks my friend.
The best thing that will happen in Trump's term is that his decisions will cause Bitcoin and other cryptos to rise... Rise.... RISE!
Hope so!
If the Trumpster fire really wanted to drain the swamp, he would fire the rest of the FBI. Constitutionally speaking, the only thing the FBI is allowed to do is not exist in the first place.
Interesting perspective.
Couldn't be happier.
yeah but it is not a personal thing of our meanings.
When a president unmount the people in institutions you are on the way of dictators.
it's not as if he didn't have reason to or did it for personal gains.
lol - when unmounting the FBI director what investigate 3 or 4 cases and one is a behead comando for Trump.... the russians. No he has of course no personal reason :-)
?
there was no russian connection. Comey's own words.
I have to say I only read that today (it is in German but a highly trustable newspaper - so no fake or so).... maybe the translator from Google can translate it:
https://derstandard.at/2000057299507/Fragen-und-Antworten-zur-ueberraschenden-Entlassung-von-FBI-Chef-Comey
And there are also facts what point into another direction.
Im not a trump supporter but i found this meme hilarious
Lol!
Yep... President Trump did the right thing by Firing the Director of the FBI... I remember that day in July and I was very upset by what Comey said...
No honor among thieves.
its great now he can put trey gowdy in there
Not sure who that is?
look up trey gowdy on youtube he is fire just what we need right now
He's a Youtuber?
congressman
OK.
That guy is pretty amazing. He was the one that grilled Comey back when the emails where being investigated. There is a video of Gowdy on YT just going to town on him.
Yes, Trey Gowdy would be an interesting choice! I hope he is safe. Killery would love to see him dead in a ditch somewhere I'm sure!
Im sure HRC is freaking out right now
I was glad to see Trump make it happen, lot of liberals are screening now.
I'm not sure he had a choice.
Hopefully the new director reopens Hillary Clinton email scandal.
I doubt it will happen though.
Trump appointed the Attorney General. Why would he not listen to his advice?
Exactly and also I think he would get criticised if he didn't follow the advice. They could say he was protecting Comey because he owed him a favour.
Recent events have shown that democrats aren't going to be happy until the police are made to be totally ineffective, and we have true mob rule.
Like martial law?
Possibly. Sometimes I wonder if certain people just like to see destruction though, or if they simply hate the USA and what it stands for.
I think it is the corrupting effect of power and money. It is not that they hate the USA or UK or any other country it is that they can only think of their own self interest and forget who they are supposed to serve.
Well, yeah... power and money have to be in there SOMEwhere...
Does anybody remember the French Revolution from history class? I'm just waiting for the day when we see a guillotine on the Capitol steps... Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it.
When I was younger I would have thought it impossible but who knows anymore? The history thing is so true!
Comey definitely did some very unusual things which disrespected the office he worked for. I do think Comey should have been fired. Firing someone for legitimate reasons, as described in the recommendations, is not politicizing the FBI. Is there some other way to hold the director of the FBI accountable for their actions, or do people think they should not be accountable..?
However if he now makes a political appointment for the head of the FBI, that would be politicization. I also am not a Trump supporter in any way, nor do I think that Trump's motivations are likely to be pure here, even with legitimate justification.
Yes I think we are in agreement here. Don't think he had any choice but am not a fan either. It will be interesting to see who he picks. I don't think any politician's motives are pure lol.
Very happy to see him gone...hope he keeps the firing going, there is a HUGE swamp to drain...good luck to him!
I don't think he will be doing it though. Once people get used to power they tend to become part of the establishment.
I think it would have been so cool if they did a special edition of The Apprentice and had Trump fire him on the show. "You're fired!"
Lol yes!
To me it smells of a distraction with the movement of the NAVY to VENEZUELA.
He should of gone on day 1!
I didn't even hear about that!
Excellent post! I like your work My friend
Trump just showed how paranoid and incompetent he really is.
Not necessarily - although I'm not a fan, I'm not sure he had a choice in this situation. He would have looked bad either way. Sometimes it is better (or looks better) to take decisive action rather than sitting and hesitating.
If he fired him the week then it would had at least look like it made it made since. He did not because he thought Comey was on his team with how hurt Hillary's chances. He found out that Comey was going to play ball on the Russia investigation so he had to get rid of him.
Yes but he has to know that it won't kill the investigation and will only bring more scrutiny.
A normal person would think that. But his ego does not let him see things that way. He thinks being President is being King.
Lol:)
Hey @thecryptofiend! Long time!
Hope you are keeping well, my friend! So glad you are still posting awesome new content and still going from strength to strength on Steemit. :)
Hey nice to hear from you again! Hope you are well?
I am good thanks. Just got back from a 3 weeks' business trip from Asia and saw the price of Steem went through to the roof... What happened, hehe?
I think it is the whole crypto market in general - has been going crazy last few weeks. Steem has been undervalued for a while compared to the rest so it was inevitable.
I like your nuanced question, did Trump have any other option? This probably was a very difficult Catch 22 issue for him.
Of course, I have an opinion, and that opinion is yes, he did, and he should not have fired Comey. If he can not pursue HRC because it smacks of despotism, he surely could see how this very act smacks of the same thing?
I have one word: impeachment. If Bill Clinton can be impeached for getting a BJ, it seems reasonable that DT should be impeached for firing the FBI director while under investigation from the FBI.
NB: I hate the FBI and want it dismantled immediately.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I think any wrongdoings by Trump will come out whoever the head of the FBI is. I'm not a fan of the FBI either except for their fictional versions (e.g. Mulder and Sculley).
#draintheswamp LOL
My two cents; Comey was a Clinton shill and the next guy will be a shill of a different nature.
Great quote!
What I love about it most is that you can flip it back around on them, and that's exactly what we're doing with Steemit!
The problem isn't that Comey is incompetent, it's that he's corrupt. He should never have been involved with investigating Clinton because of conflict of interest. he and his brother both have ties to the Clinton Foundation. The guy is a political hack not a professional investigator. He should have never held the post in the first place. I'm just surprised it took this long.
I didn't know that. If he had ties to them he should have separated himself from it and declared it.
What gets me is that all the guys in the House hearings knew... Loretta Lynch knew... Obama knew...the MSM knew But there he was!
This is an odd one. Seems strange to sack a person by letter as well.
Will be interesting how Comey will respond
Yes that is odd - I just assumed that Trump must have at least spoken to him on the phone as well but it sounds like he didn't - just sent the letter when he was doing a speech.
But if Trump quietly called Comey and let him go, what would the news media have to be outraged about today?
There is nothing more important than following procedure. He mishandled the Clinton case and whatever good work he did do over the course of his appointment has now been tarnished. His removal has nothing to do with ongoing investigations as the FBI isn't a one-man-team. Try to shut down someone's case to pull a favor? They'll leak that shit like there's no tomorrow. Anyways, I think it's a good thing. It's not a lifelong appointment.
Yes that is what I was thinking.
It is about time Comey got fired as he was not effective at his job.
Yes.
Your writing is very interesting and I really like it @thecryptofiend
Thank you so much :)
Okay my @thecryptofiend and I also thank you for your very handwritten article
The mayor question is: Who will succed him? Antoher globalist or a freedom lover? Or at least a law abiding citizen.
We will have to see.
If you're allowed to appoint the person who is going to investigate you, then that's a huge conflict of interest.
For all the checks and balances that the US political system is supposed to have, this whole fiasco exposes that it's just another flimsy house of cards.
Most systems are though. Not sure if it will ever get fixed.
Not any time soon. The system is too entrenched. Just as monarchy isn't really about a king or queen. It is about the entire ruling class and the system that they want to protect.
I think you are right.
This is the start of the economic crisis..! It is just slowly falling apart like the rest of economies, and the result is bitcoin going up #CryptoCurrencyForever
I hope so. Something has to change in the banking systems and financial systems.
I know so the elites just prop the bubble up...until the whole economy comes crashing down..in the mean time Ben Bernanke, and all those lying clucks will say the economy is growing..when in reality it is deteriorating.. the repeat of the past but the crash will be devastating then all crashes combined!
That is certainly what I have been hearing. It will be bad but perhaps necessary for things to change.
Yeah it sure will be! Only the smart people will benefit from this upcoming crash...the time has been overdue its been manipulated way too long now! In order for good change to happen the monetary system must reset..other then that precious metal, cash on hand keepers, bitcoin users..along with stocked food and ammo you should be ready!
Sadly we can't get ammo here but I do keep some supplies.
That is totally understandable....knowing America so called "the land of the free" aka land of the free loaders...wants to confiscate all our guns, and impose Martial law against their American citizens..claiming they are here to protect us...when whole time its for the investment, and control!
Comey is a Bought and Paid for Globalist Puppet.He should of Prosecuted Clinton last year, It was a joke, that he did not. He should have gone after Abedin, her Husband, The Clinton Fraud Foundation. He made a Great organisation, The FBI, look inept. Good Riddance. Drain The Swamp.
Well I'm not sure the swamp will ever get drained. Too much money and power involved and that corrupts people.
Well...Comey should have fired Trump..
How would he do that?
No idea.
Too little, too late!
What more would you like him to do?
"What are your thoughts on Trump firing Comey?"
May the BEST man or woman WIN!!!
The guy should have been first ‘out-the-door’. Why did it take so long?
However, a move in the right direction is always welcome.
He certainly wasn't doing a good job.
How does the saying go? "All the world is a stage." This is just a show.
Maybe.
YES!
I absolutely LOVED it.
Trump is a jerk..but he's MY KIND of jerk
The dhmikrats best be careful what they ask for.
If they scream too loud for a special prosecutor..
They might GET one.
THAT will be fun.
Sadly I doubt someone like Hillary will pay for anything. Regular people end up in jail but the rich and powerful do what they like.
we have the best judiciary that money can buy.
Lol yes.
While I think Trump used Sessions to oust Comey for getting too bold in his Russia investigation. I actually think it back fired on Trump and added even more scrutiny and attention to the fact that his administration may be hiding something...
Yes but I think that is why it couldn't be a deliberate ploy - Trump is not stupid (even if people want to think he is) - he must have known this would happen.
Oh its definitely going to get interesting. Who knows who he will pick to replace Comey? Does New Jersey's finest bridge troll Christie get the job????
Congratulations @thecryptofiend!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following categories:
There's a big difference between finding the timing of this suspicious and liking Comey.
I agree, I mean Comey didn't have very many fans on either side of the aisle. the GOP had to know that firing him at this specific time wouldn't raise so many damn red flags... rookie move Trump.