By CHRIS MULDROW / Fredericksburg Today
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, was stunned by President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey.
“The President’s actions today are shocking,” Warner said. “It is deeply troubling that the President has fired the FBI director during an active counterintelligence investigation into improper contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.”
“The administration insists there’s no ‘there there,’ yet President Trump has so far fired the acting Attorney General, nearly every U.S. attorney, and now the Director of the FBI,” Warner said. “In addition, this President’s choice for Attorney General has been forced to recuse himself, and the National Security Advisor has resigned, as a result of undisclosed contacts with Russian officials.
“Now more than ever, it is vital that our ongoing investigation is completed in a credible and bipartisan way. We also need to hear directly from former Director Comey about the FBI investigation and related events.”
Senator Tim Kaine said the firing shows that the administration is afraid of the investigation over Russian interference in the presidential election.
“It’s outrageous to see a sitting President fire the FBI director during an active investigation into potential collusion with a foreign government,’ Kaine said. “The decision to fire James Comey shows how frightened the Administration is over the Russia investigation. The White House decision to seek Attorney General Sessions’ recommendation also raises questions about whether he has fully recused himself from the Russia investigation. This adds to a disturbing pattern by the White House to cover up the truth, which draws inescapable comparisons to the Nixon era.”
Both Kaine and Warner called for a special prosecutor on the case.
“A special prosecutor that is completely independent and whose mandate is not directed by the Attorney General is needed to get to the bottom of whether the Trump campaign, transition team, or administration colluded with the Russian government,” Kaine said.
“The President’s actions today make it clear to me that a Special Counsel also must be appointed,” Warner said. “That’s the only way the American people will be able to trust the results of any DOJ investigation. The only way this administration can begin to demonstrate a commitment to the rule of law, which has so far been sorely lacking, is to cooperate fully with the ongoing congressional investigations and to support the appointment of an independent special counsel.”
