begin quote from:
Top Republicans 'troubled' by firing
Comey firing troubles top Republican lawmakers
Story highlights
- Members of President Donald Trump's own party criticized his firing of the FBI director
- John McCain, Richard Burr and Justin Amash all put out their own statements
(CNN)Top
Republicans, including the senator directing the Senate's Russia
investigation, said Tuesday they were "troubled" by President Donald
Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey, while other GOP lawmakers tried to stay out of the growing political storm.
"I
am troubled by the timing and reasoning of Director Comey's
termination," Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, a North
Carolina Republican, said in a statement.
While Democrats slammed Trump's decision on Comey as "Nixonian," some members of the President's own party expressed concerns and divided traditional GOP alliances.
Arizona Sen. John McCain
said he was "disappointed" by the incident. Sen. Bob Corker, who chairs
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and occasionally advised the
Trump campaign last year, said he also had concerns.
"Regardless
of how you think Director Comey handled the unprecedented complexities
of the 2016 election cycle, the timing of this firing is very
troubling," said Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska in a statement.
Rep.
Justin Amash, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said
in a tweet that he would introduce legislation supporting the creation
of an independent commission to investigate Russia's interference in the
election.
Amash is one of four Republicans who have signed on to legislation that would force Trump to release his tax returns.
"While
the case for removal of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James
Comey laid out by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein was
thorough, his removal at this particular time will raise questions,"
Corker said in a statement. "It is essential that ongoing investigations
are fulsome and free of political interference until their completion,
and it is imperative that President Trump nominate a well-respected and
qualified individual to lead the bureau at this critical time."
Other
Republicans came to Trump's defense or placed the blame for Comey's
firing squarely on the shoulders of the former FBI director.
"Today's
announcement is likely the inevitable conclusion of Director Comey's
decision last July to bypass the longstanding protocols of the Justice
Department and publicly announce the reasons he had decided not to
recommend an indictment of Hillary Clinton and to offer his personal
views of Mrs. Clinton's actions," Republican Sen. Susan Collins said in a
statement.
"Any suggestion that
today's announcement is somehow an effort to stop the FBI's
investigation of Russia's attempt to influence the election last fall is
misplaced," Collins said. "The President did not fire the entire FBI;
he fired the director."
The
decision also had two traditional Republican allies apparently at odds.
While McCain said Comey is "a man of honor and integrity, and he has
led the FBI well in extraordinary circumstances," one of his closest
friends -- Sen. Lindsey Graham -- said that he disagreed.
The
South Carolina Republican, who is leading one of four investigations
into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, said Tuesday he
supports Trump's decision.
"Given
the recent controversies surrounding the director, I believe a fresh
start will serve the FBI and the nation well," Graham said in a
statement Tuesday. "I encourage the President to select the most
qualified professional available who will serve our nation's interests."
Republican
Sen. Marco Rubio said he was not commenting on the firing specifically
but expected the Justice Department's investigation to continue largely
unchanged.
"I would expect the FBI
to continue to function along the lines that we have come to expect it
to function," the Florida Republican told CNN.
Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican who's up for re-election next year, tweeted that he couldn't explain Trump's decision.
He tweeted,
"I've spent the last several hours trying to find an acceptable
rationale for the timing of Comey's firing. I just can't do it."
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