A top Senate Democrat has called on the Judiciary Committeeto hold a hearing on why President Donald Trump fired the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)James Comey.
Dianne
Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees the
FBI, called on the committee on Friday “to hold hearings and get into
the bottom of” what has actually prompted Trump to fire Comey.
“President
Trump and the White House have presented an ever-changing narrative on
the rationale for the firing of FBI Director Comey. This triggers a need
for the Judiciary Committee to hold hearings and get to the bottom of
this," Feinstein added.
Comey, who had been leading an
investigation into alleged ties between the Trump presidential campaign
and Russia, was fired earlier this week. The president said he fired
Comey because it was time for a "new beginning" at America’s "crown
jewel of law enforcement."
One of the main questions Feinstein
wanted to be discussed in the committee’s public hearings is that
"whether the FBI director was fired to disrupt an investigation into
Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election."
Feinstein
also wanted the committee to dig into whether Trump discussed the FBI
investigation into Russian interference and also if the president asked
if he was the subject of an investigation. Former FBI director James Comey (R) and President Donald Trump (File photo)"It’s
highly inappropriate for the president to ask the FBI director about an
ongoing investigation,” said Feinstein. “It’s even more inappropriate
for the president to ask the FBI director about whether he is a target
of that investigation."
Trump wrote in a publicly released letter
that he asked Comey if he was under investigation. In response Comey
reassured Trump for three times that he wasn't the subject of the probe,
according to Trump.
Russia formerly denied the allegations.
Though Feinstein is a top Democrat, she still needs the chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley to convene a hearing.
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