We are now in Watergate Territory whether the world is ready for this or not. The Nixon library humorously put out a memo: "Even Nixon didn't fire a head of the FBI."
No, Nixon fired his Attorney General instead.
So, this is completely unheard of and likely without any legal or useful justification except as a cover up as the subpoenas went out to all of Flynn's associates the same day while he was NSA (National Security Advisor) to the president.
Media captionTrump's love-hate relationship with Comey over a tumultuous year
Donald Trump's firing of
FBI Director James Comey caught Washington by complete surprise. No one -
in Congress, in conservative circles, even in the FBI itself -
seemingly had an inkling of what was in store.
As politicians and pundits survey the fallout, here are a few of the big questions they are likely to contemplate.
Was it a cover-up?
The abruptness and timing of Mr Comey's dismissal, to put it mildly, is highly suspicious.
Just
over a week ago, the FBI director talked about his agency's
investigation into Russian meddling in the US presidential election -
and possible Russian ties to the Trump campaign - before a Senate
committee.
He was scheduled to appear before Congress again to discuss "worldwide threats" on Thursday.
Mr Trump has been tweeting almost nonstop about how the allegations are a "hoax" and the investigations are a "taxpayer funded charade".
Now the man overseeing that investigation has been shown the door - by Mr Trump himself.
Media captionUS Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer: "Mr President, with all due respect, you're making a big mistake"While the White House has said that the move is based on
concerns over how Mr Comey handled last year's investigation into
Hillary Clinton's email server, not many people - particularly Democrats
- are buying that line.
They may recall last year, just a few
days before election day, Mr Trump praising Mr Comey for his handling of
the email inquiry.
"It took guts for Director Comey to make the
move that he made in light of the kind of opposition he had where
they're trying to protect her from criminal prosecution," Mr Trump said
at a campaign rally. "It took a lot of guts."
Mr Trump, it seems,
has soured on the FBI director - and, according to the New York Times,
had been seeking a reason to fire him for more than a week.
If the
dismissal was because of the email investigation, why act now? How the
Trump White House answers that question will go a long way toward
determining whether the cover-up allegations die down over time. FBI chief Comey fired by Trump Reaction to Comey's shock exit
Did Comey bring this on himself?
Shortly
before Chuck Schumer held his hastily called press conference to say
that the Comey firing necessitated an independent investigation into Mr
Trump's Russia ties, the White House began circulating an old quote from
the Democratic Senate minority leader criticising the FBI director for
his handling of the Clinton investigation.
"I do not have confidence in him any longer," Mr Schumer said last November.
Plenty
of the same Democrats who are now howling over Mr Comey's dismissal
have had similarly harsh words - which are sure to be pointed to by Mr
Trump's supporters.
In his letter laying out the case for Mr
Comey's dismissal, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said that the
FBI director's "serious mistakes" in the Clinton case were "one of the
few issue that unites people of diverse perspectives".
Media captionComey explains why he went public reopening Clinton email probeIndeed Mr Comey did break with precedent in his July 2016
news conference announcing that the FBI would not recommend charges
against Mrs Clinton despite her being "extremely careless" with
classified material. He did so again in sending a letter updating
Congress on politically charged developments of the investigation just
over a week from election day.
Over the course of 2016, Mr Comey
managed to anger Democrats with his initial handling of the Clinton
investigation, Republicans with his subsequent resolution of the case
and then Democrats again for his election eve actions. How Comey defended his actions
Then
there's the matter of how he has conducted the Trump-Russia
investigation so far - keeping it from the public during the election
season, much to Democrats' consternation, and now angering the Trump
team with its open-ended nature.
Make enough enemies in Washington, and your career lifespan can shrink to that of a mayfly.
A
generous view would say that Mr Comey navigated treacherous waters as
best he could in an era where political disputes are increasingly
criminalised.
Another take is that he sank in a ship that he himself had riddled with holes.
Will there be a special investigation?
Mr
Schumer has called for an independent investigation into Russian
interference in the US presidential election and any connections to the
Trump campaign. And as the hours go by, it's increasingly difficult to
find a Democrat who hasn't issued a sternly worded statement with
similar sentiment.
For such an inquiry to get off the ground,
however, the calls will have to come from Republicans as well as
Democrats. So far, however, the big guns in the Republican Party have
stayed silent. Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Will Republicans still have the president's back?
Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Mr Comey had lost the public's trust.
Senator
Lindsey Graham, who earlier on Tuesday had suggested Mr Trump's Russia
business ties should be investigated, said a "fresh start" will serve
the nation well. Republican questions Trump business deals
Others
have been a bit sharper. Senator Richard Burr, chair on the
intelligence committee investigating Russia election meddling, said he
was "troubled" by the move, while Senator John McCain called for an
independent congressional investigation.
Only longtime Trump
critic Justin Amash, a congressman from Michigan, has said he's
contemplating legislation authorising an independent commission to look
into the matter.
Special prosecutors and independent inquiries are
likely the last thing the Trump White House wants at this point. In the
past, such free-ranging probes have expanded and enveloped
administrations, ranging from George W Bush (over revelations of the
identity of a clandestine CIA operative critical of the Iraq War) to
Bill Clinton (in which a real estate investigation morphed into the
Monica Lewinsky impeachment case).
The president may not have a
choice, of course - but only if Republicans break ranks in a manner they
have shown no interest in doing as of yet.
Didn't Jeff Sessions promise to step back from the Russia investigation?
While it's not the biggest question hanging over the Comey firing, it may come to be one of the more interesting ones.
Back
in early March Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was recusing
himself from involvement in the FBI investigation into possible
Russia-Trump ties. His move came after questions about why he had
neglected to tell his confirmation committee he had met with Russian
Ambassador Sergey Kislay while serving as an adviser to the Trump
campaign. Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Comey meets with Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Now the attorney general, on the advice of his
deputy, has issued a letter to President Trump recommending the
dismissal of the head of the FBI. According to the New York Times, Mr
Sessions had been asked by the president more than a week ago to
establish grounds for sacking Mr Comey.
Of course, there's
nothing binding about such a promise of recusal. Any price Mr Sessions
would pay, if this is indeed constitutes a violation, would be
political.
To that end, Democrats - including Senator Kirsten
Gillibrand of New York - will do their best to make the Trump
administration feel the squeeze.
"AG Sessions lied under oath about meetings with Kislyak," she tweeted. "One way to exert control after recusal is by getting rid of FBI director. Chilling."
Who replaces Comey?
Of
all the questions this will likely be the most consequential. The
identity of the person Mr Trump picks as the next FBI director will go a
long way toward framing the perceptions of Mr Comey's dismissal.
If
he chooses someone of a questionable background - a loyal subordinate
or political acolyte - then the answer to that first cover-up question
will tilt toward "yes".
Names of outspoken campaign surrogates
like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New Jersey Governor Chris
Christie fall into this category.
If Mr Trump opts for a career
law enforcement or judicial official - someone known and respected in
Washington circles - or a Democrat, it will go a long way towards
quelling the current political uproar.
When President Bill Clinton
fired FBI Director Williams Sessions early in his presidency, for
instance, he chose Louis Freeh - a Republican-appointed federal judge -
as his replacement.
Mr Clinton had carefully planned out the
move, knowing that sacking an FBI director mid-term - even one mired in
an ethics controversy, as Sessions was - would be controversial.
He
already had settled on Mr Freeh as his choice before announcing the
firing, and quickly moved to line up support for his confirmation.
Time will tell, but at this point there is little indication that the Trump White House has engaged in such levels of planning. Trump-Comey's love-hate
Reaction to sacking
Trump fires Comey - closing summary
We are going to pause our live coverage. Here's a summary of events.
The White House shocked Washington on Tuesday evening by
announcing that FBI director James Comey was "terminated and removed
from office" only four years into a 10-year post.
Comey had been leading the FBI's agency's investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Comey was addressing staff in LA when he was handed a note by an
aide telling him he had been fired. He initially mistook the letter for a
prank, the New York Times reported.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had recused himself from the
investigation, advised Trump to sack Comey, prompting criticism from
Democrats who called his involvement inappropriate.
Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for special prosecutor to examine possible ties to Russia.
Trump will meet Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov tomorrow at the White House.
MSNBC
Comey's plane prepares to leave the tarmac at LAX
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Comey 'thought news was a funny prank'
FBI director initially thought note handed to him informing him of sacking was a prank, the New York Times reports.
Conway
is fiercely contesting suggestions from CNN's Anderson Cooper that the
sacking is related to Comey's investigation into the Trump campaign.
"This
has nothing to do with Russia," she said, "and everything to do with
whether the FBI director has the current president's confidence."
She argued that Comey's sacking is solely about "restoring public confidence in the FBI".
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Trump aide: 'You're looking at the wrong set of facts'
CNN
Senior
Trump aide Kellyanne Conway, famous for coining the expression
"alternative facts", is live on CNN defending the president.
"I think you're looking at the wrong set of facts here," said Conway.
"He
acted decisively today," she added, in response to a question about why
Trump is now critical of Comey's investigation into Hillary Clinton,
despite applauding that decision on the campaign trail.
She denied that Comey's firing was a "cover up".
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Comey on why he went public with Clinton probe
Comey
addressed senators last week to explain for the first time why he
decided to reopen the investigation into Clinton's use of a private
email server so close to election day.
The decision was made after
investigators discovered a trove of emails during a separate
investigation into the ex-husband of a top Clinton aide. FBI Director Comey: 'Choice between real bad and catastrophic'
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Trump to meet Russian foreign minister tomorrow
In timing that could raise eyebrows, the president will meet Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov tomorrow at the White House.
The
meeting will take place less than 24 hours after Trump fired the man
leading the FBI investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia.
Reuters
Sergei Lavrov (R) meets US secretary of state Rex Tillerson
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Chopper follows Comey through LA traffic
A local news helicopter is following Comey's vehicle through LA traffic as he makes his way to the airport.
He was scheduled to speak at an FBI recruitment event but the event has been cancelled, US media report.
Statement from Democratic senator Ben Cardin, who echoes Chuck Schumer's call for a special prosecutor into the Russia scandal. “There
is little President Trump does anymore that surprises me, but that he would
fire the lead investigator into collusion between Russia and Trump campaign
officials is beyond the pale – even for him. This is the biggestevidence
to date of why we need an independent commission to investigate Russia’s
interference in our election. We also need a special prosecutor to complete the
ongoing criminal probe, now that the president has undermined the integrity of
the FBI’s investigation. “There
is no doubt that President Trump is threatened by the investigations of
Russia's ties to his campaign. His actions reinforce the need for a nonpartisan
commission to work full-time on behalf of the American people to figure out who
did what, when and why. The American people are entitled to answers.”
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White House hands out briefing note on Schumer
In
response to criticism of the dismissal by top Democrat Chuck Schumer,
White House aides handed out a briefing note detailing times Schumer had
criticised Comey in the past.
Comey
is probably safer in his job than any other senior U.S. official. Even
Trump wouldn't risk the spectacle of firing the FBI director.
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Press conference confusion at White House
Reporters
had gathered at the White House amid rumours of an off-camera briefing
with spokesman Sean Spicer, but it turned out to be a red herring.
Members of the media were instead handed copies of the letter sent to Mr Comey.
Getty Images
Press Secretary Lyndsey Walters arrives in the briefing room
Democratic
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said that Comey's firing "raises massive
questions, and the Senate should get to the bottom of it".
"America
needs to have confidence that the Department of Justice will fill its
traditional role of following the facts fearlessly, and prosecuting
whomever has violated the law no matter the office they hold," he said.
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Senior Republican criticises dismissal
Senator
Richard Burr, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee
investigating the Trump team's ties to Russia, has released this
statement attacking Trump's decision.
Washington analysts see his
criticism as a significant development, since he is the most senior
Republican so far to question Trump's decision.
Comey was addressing staff, then he was handed a note
Comey was addressing staff in LA ahead of a recruitment event when he was handed a note by
one of his team telling him he had been fired. He read the note, then broke the news to his staff.
Our
correspondent David Willis sends this image of reporters who have
rushed to a recruitment event that Comey had been scheduled to attend.
No word yet on if that event is still going ahead as planned.
BBC
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'If I can oppose firing, so can you' - Snowden
No fan of Comey's, whistleblower Edward Snowden tweets to criticise the sacking nonetheless.
Comey testified at the Judiciary Committee last week about the Clinton email affair. Anthony Zurcher deconstructed his remarks.
Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter
Here
is the heart of what Mr Comey describes as his "painful" dilemma. Once
he decided to reopen the investigation, he believed that doing nothing
would effectively be active concealment. In the ensuing
days and months, Mr Comey's critics have said silence would not only
have been in keeping with Justice Department policy, it would have been
the prudent move given that the director did not know what the Weiner
laptop contained. Mr Comey - perhaps because he knew the
investigation would leak to the press anyway or possibly because he
feared the emails could reveal Clinton misdeeds after she had won the
presidency - decided otherwise. Full article here.
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Richard Nixon Library stands behind its man
Richard
Nixon's presidential library is effectively trolling on Twitter,
pointing out that the disgraced former president managed not to fire the
director of the FBI.
Trump's dismissal of Comey drew widespread
comparisons with Nixon's actions over the Watergate scandal, leading
'Nixonian' to trend on Twitter.
#Watergate is also trending on Twitter.
The first that FBI staff knew of the sacking was from televisions in the office, the BBC's Jon Sopel reports.
Trump may have been looking for a week for an excuse to fire the FBI director, according to Anthony Zurcher.
Trump could meet top Russian aide at White House - AP
Associated Press reports on a possible meeting on Wednesday between Trump and Sergei Lavrov, a top aide to Vladimir Putin.
The
timing, the day after firing the FBI director who was leading an
investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russian
influence, could raise eyebrows.
FBI directors are given a ten year term - and James Comey has been fired after less than four.
In
a letter to Mr Comey, Donald Trump said "It is essential that we find
new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in
its vital law enforcement mission", going on to say, "you are not able
to effectively lead the Bureau."
Separate documents released by
the White House curiously point to James Comey's handling of Hillary
Clinton's email server problems during the campaign - something
Democrats see as having benefited Mr Trump's candidacy.
In
particular, the documents describe Mr Comey's decision to hold a press
conference last July, announcing Mrs Clinton had been "extremely
careless in her handling of very classified information" as a text book
example of how what federal prosecutors should not do.
But later
in the campaign, Mr Trump praised the director for announcing a fresh
probe into Mrs Clinton, only ten days before election day.
What
hangs over all this is the fact that the FBI is currently investigating
the Trump campaign over possible coordination with Russia during the
election - and many of his opponents will find that conflict impossible
to ignore.
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'Nixonian' trends on Twitter as comparisons roll in
The
word Nixonian is trending, as tweeters and politicians draw comparisons
between the unfolding political crisis and Nixon's Watergate scandal.
Top Democractic senator Chuck Schumer is speaking live. He called for a special prosectutor.
"If
Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein does not appoint an independent
special prosecutor, every American will likely suspect the decision to
fire Comey was part of a cover up," he said.
He said it was
"troubling" that Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had recused himself
from the Russia investigation, was involved in the decision.
He added: "Why did they fire him today?", he said. "Were these investigation getting too close to home for the president?"
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Dismissal 'jeopardises Russia investigation' - former CIA analyst
Evan
McMullin, a former CIA analyst that ran against Trump as a Republican,
says Comey's firing may compromise the investigation into Russian
meddling in the US election.
Cummings: Involvement of Sessions is 'mindboggling'
Democractic
Rep Elijah Cummings, the ranking member of the House Oversight
Committee, has released a statement calling the involvement of Attorney
General Jeff Sessions "mindboggling".
Sessions, a longtime ally of Trump, wrote to the president advising him to sack Comey.
Cummings called for emergency hearings in Congress.
BBC
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Letter 'hand delivered by Trump aide'
Letter firing Comey was hand delivered to the FBI by longterm Trump aide Keith Schiller, CNN reports.
Deputy AG: Comey released Clinton news 'gratuitously'
A
letter from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is scathing about
Comey's handling of the Clinton email announcement, accusing him of
releasing the information "gratuitously" and calling it a "textbook
example of what federal prosecutors are taught not to do".
Comey
reportedly received the news in LA, where he was due to appear at a
rare FBI recruiting event aimed at bolstering minorities and women among
the ranks.
'I'm sorry that happened': BBC breaks news to John McCain
The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher broke the news to senior Republican Senator John McCain moments ago.
Here's the full transcript of her interaction:
Plett Usher: The FBI Director Mr Comey has been fired.
McCain: He's what?
Plett Usher: He's been fired.
McCain: I did not know that.
Plett Usher: Do you have any reaction?
McCain:
I'm sorry that that happened because I happen to have great respect for
him. And I regret that that took place. The President does have that
authority so I respect that.
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Attorney General Sessions recommended Comey's dismissal
Attorney
General Jeff Sessions, a vocal supporter of Trump since the early
stages of the campaign, wrote to the president advising him that "a
fresh start is needed at the leadership of the FBI".
Comey
was reportedly told the news by his staff, after a letter from
President Trump said the director was "not able to effectively lead the
Bureau" and it was "essential that we find new leadership".
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