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Former FBI Director James Comey Raises President Trump’s Obstruction
Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by President Trump, said on Thursday that “Trump had tried to derail an investigation into his national security adviser,” defaming both Comey and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No longer held back by the professionalism of a government job, Comey was able to speak freely, offering a blunt insight on his conversation with the president.
Due to this “lack of faith” so to speak, President Trump reportedly fired Comey. While some were angered by this fact, others were not. Some believed his end came as a result of his ineffectiveness.
Senator Charles E. Grassley says that this is “a clear example of how Comey’s decision have called into question the trust and political independence of the FBI. In my efforts to get answers, the FBI, under Comey’s leadership, has been slow or failed to provide information that Comey himself pledged to provide. The effectiveness of the FBI depends upon the public trust and confidence. Unfortunately, this has clearly been lost.”
Reciting his unflattering story of his dismissal from duty, Comey raised a question if President Trump tried to “obstruct justice”. He says, “That’s a conclusion I’m sure the special counsel will work towards, to try and understand what the intention was there and whether that’s an offense.”
President Trump has offered altering reasons on his firing of Comey. The New York Times writes, “The White House originally cited Mr. Comey’s handling of last year’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, saying Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, had recommended he be dismissed. But Mr. Trump quickly undercut that argument, telling NBC News that he had been thinking about the Russia investigation when he fired Mr. Comey.”
Respecting President Trump’s word, Comey says that he takes “the president at his word—that I was fired because of the Russia investigation. Something about the way I was conducting it, the president felt, created pressure on him that he wanted to relieve.”
Featured Image via MSNBC