Did President Trump sack the FBI director James Comey to squelch the Trump/Russia connection? Was his timing questionable? Could he have handled it better? Or should the entire matter be referred to an independent congressional committee for investigation?
According to the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who recommended the firing of Comey to the US AG Jeff Sessions, the answers to these queries are an unequivocal no, no, no, and no.
But rather than quessulate on Trump's motives let's go directly to Rosenstein's letter of May 9 and cite his reasons for recommending Comey's dismissal:
“The FBI's reputation and credibility have suffered damage" because of Comey. “That is deeply troubling to many Department employees, legislators, and citizens.”
“I cannot defend the Director's handling of the investigation of Secretary's Clinton's emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment that he was mistaken. Almost everyone agrees that the Director made serious mistakes.”
“The Director was wrong to usurp the Attorney General's authority and announce his conclusion that the case should be closed without prosecution. It is not the function of the Director to make such an announcement.”
“The Director ignored another longstanding principle: we do not hold press conferences to release information subject to criminal investigation.”
Comey “is a textbook example of what federal prosecutors and agents are taught not to do.”
Rosenstein concludes, “My perspective on these issues is shared by former Attorneys General and Deputy Attorneys General from different eras and both political parties.”
He lists seven AGs with quotes that supported canning Comey:
Laurence Silberman: Comey's “Performance was so inappropriate that I doubt the bureau will ever completely recover.”
Jamie Gorelick: Comey “restroke the balance between fairness and the department's tradition.”
Michael Mukasey: Comey “stepped way outside his job.”
Alberto Gonzales: Comey's decision about Clinton's server and e-mails was “an error in judgment.”
Donald Ayer: was “astonished and perplexed” by Comey's decision about Clinton.
Larry Thompson: Comey's conduct was “antithetical to the interests of justice.”
Eric Holder: Comey's decision about Clinton “violated long-standing Justice Department policies and tradition. He negatively affected public trust in both the Justice Department and the FBI.”
Rosenstein, like Holder, is also an Obama appointee. He received overwhelming bipartisanship support in his Senate confirmation hearing with a vote of 94 to 6.
The Deputy AG forwarded his six-page memorandum to AG Jeff Sessions with the subject heading, “Restoring public confidence in the FBI.”
In his cover letter to Trump, Sessions wrote: “I have concluded that a fresh start is needed at the leadership of the FBI. Therefore, I must recommend that you remove Director James B. Comey, Jr and identify an experienced and qualified individual to lead the FBI.”
Rosenstein's and Sessions' letters posed a Catch-22 dilemma to Trump. If he accepted their recommendation, there would be considerate blow-back, as any of you who have watched the news can testify.
On the other hand, if he ignored the advice of the Deputy Attorney General as well as the
head of the DOJ, the voices of dissent would be equally strident.
Trump came down hard and expeditiously on the side of those who stood for law. In a terse 114-word missive sent to Comey just three hours after he received Sessions' letter, Trump wrote, “I concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau. You are hereby terminated and removed from office effective immediately.”
But regardless of the President's decision, the Left is pathologically opposed to all things Trump. That's not going to change.
Although looked at another way, arousing the ire of the MSM and the Democrats is proof that President Trump made the right call, at the right time, to fire James Comey, and for the right reasons.
Sincerely,
Bob Scroggins
New Milford, PA