Trump fired Comey. Yes, the president terminated, removed, disposed of the man in charge of leading the very investigation into… the president, his campaign and administration officials for collusion and improper conduct with Russia.
This is obstruction of justice. Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey constitutes an enormous threat to truth, separation of powers, government agency independence, systems of checks and balances, and executive branch and FBI operating procedures upon which the United States is based.
After Sally Yates and Preet Bharara, Comey becomes the third federal employee investigating Trump to be fired by Trump. This is a clear abuse of power, emblematic of the eroding democratic norms in a severely volatile administration that fires any person who crosses, disagrees with or threatens the President’s absolute power or perilously erratic agenda.
“The Administration cannot expect the American people to actually believe the bogus rationale, unjustifiable defense, and suspicious timing.”
The Administration cannot expect the American people to actually believe the bogus rationale, unjustifiable defense, suspicious timing, and insipid explanation that Comey was immediately fired effective today, May 9, 2017, for his botched handling of the Clinton email investigation (including a July 2016 press conference and October 2016 letter, etc.), which Trump publicly celebrated on multiple occasions.I call bullsh*t.
Was the FBI closing in on or set to reveal information that would incriminate or implicate senior officials of the Trump campaign and administration in Russian interference that benefited the Republican candidate? Why fire Comey now and spark a PR disaster, if that risk were not “better” than confirmed illegalities between Trump and Russia? What is the real reason for intentional interference in the justice system? How far does this calculated coverup reach?
There is a dire need for an independent special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference in United States’ elections, the bedrock of democracy and the republic; that is something upon which both democrats and republicans, liberals and conservatives, citizens and patriots must agree. There was an urgent call for this plan of action beginning months ago, which has only intensified until peaking today; I cannot find any argument against it. Only an independent special prosecutor, far, far away from the White House and Trump appointees, can take on this Nixonian crisis, akin to the 1973 Saturday Night Massacre when then-President Nixon fired the Watergate special prosector and abolished the task force in a similar brazen act against law enforcement investigating the Commander-in-Chief… i.e. Trump firing Comey is monumental.
Scary, unprecedented, legitimately terrifying, absurd, shocking (even by Trump standards!), troubling, alarm bells, wrong, a full-fledged constitutional crisis… these are just a few of the terms elected and appointed officials are using in reference to the president’s latest decision, challenging the rule of law.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions – who was forced to recuse himself from the investigation because of lying under oath about his own personal and professional ties to Russian officials – recommended the firing of Comey, the man running that investigation. Trump accepted Sessions’ joint recommendation with newly confirmed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has seriously compromised his own integrity and accountability through this letter and process. Why was Sessions not forced to recuse himself from advising the Deputy AG as well? Trump cannot be permitted to select his own prosector, someone who will clearly close the critical probe into Russia. Any special prosecutor will still rely on FBI agents who answer to Trump’s newly appointed FBI director. Sessions is playing a decisive role in choosing the next leader, sure to be a Trump stooge (could it really be Sheriff David Clarke or someone of his ilk?!). There are direct conflicts of interest on so many levels.
“Only an independent special prosecutor, far, far away from the White House and Trump appointees, can take on this Nixonian crisis.”
Normal, innocent presidents don’t attempt to gratuitously exonerate themselves in open letters that fire government appointees by deceptive means. Trump continues to willingly insert himself into frameworks reminiscent of some bizarre reality television-esque partisan game, only one which poses a real world threat to democracy, government institutions, national security, American safety and popular sanity.
What is going on? When do Trump’s authoritarian (not hysterical or hyperbolic verbiage at this point) actions become terms for impeachment? What are Trump and his administration attempting to hide from Americans and politicians alike? What are we, the people, doing to resist and hold all to account? What happens to the investigation and findings from here on out? Comey and other relevant actors must be called to testify about happenings in the investigation to date and knowledge up until the moment of this unexpected firing. And an independent special prosecutor must immediately be instated to truthfully and thoroughly investigate Trump and campaign or administration ties to Russia.
Are we living in a madhouse, twilight zone, movie set or alternate universe? Go ahead and attempt to write your own House of Cards script, but this story is far stranger than fiction.