“Watergate” Trump
The US President fired the Director of the FBI, which was investigating links environment with Russia.
May 9, Donald trump suddenly fired FBI Director James Comey — President felt that he “is unable to effectively manage their office”. Komi learned about his dismissal from the news during a speech before the FBI in Los Angeles. The white house believes that the office, under the leadership of the Komi too enthusiastically engaged in investigating accusations against Hillary Clinton, but it is possible that the dismissal is connected with the other FBI investigation: about contacts environment the trump of Russia. In this regard, many media have called the dismissal of James Comey a “Watergate” trump.
James Komi headed by the FBI in September 2013. A lawyer by training, he worked for many years in the U.S. Department of justice, including as Deputy attorney General of the United States (the second-highest post in the Ministry of justice). For the position of FBI Director Comey has invited Barack Obama. According to some, his candidacy was also considered in appointing new judges of the Supreme court of the United States. According to CNN, James Comey was a very influential figure and his appointment as Director of the FBI in the society were perceived positively: he had become the embodiment of the principle of political impartiality of the heads of major security agencies.
As FBI Director Komi was in charge of cases against the candidates in the presidential elections of 2016. In particular — investigation of e-mail, Hillary Clinton (she was accused of using the personal server to send classified information). In July 2016, the FBI announced that the reason for bringing Clinton no charges. In November of 2016, a few days before the election, James Comey said the case against Hillary Clinton resumed in connection with the emergence of new information. In the result, nothing significant was found. Clinton staff accused of Komi in an attempt to influence the outcome of elections.
After winning trump’s Komi Republic, has kept the post of FBI Director, and his Agency began checking connections the entourage of the new President of Russia. While Komi said that the facts with regard to the trump with the Kremlin, the FBI could not be found. Up to and including termination of Komi repeatedly appeared in Congress and answered questions related to the investigation of trump and Clinton. In particular, in may 2017, he once again said he believes his actions justified before the presidential election, because to keep silent about the new information in the case of Clinton, he could not. “I rather hate to think that our actions could somehow influence the election,” said Komi. In another hearing, he said that assistant Clinton is in violation of security protocols, “sent thousands of letters to her husband,” but it was later revealed that it was only a few letters, and still not clearly contained in them confidential information.
The official reason for the dismissal of Komi began his actions during the investigation against Clinton. In a letter to the FBI Director, trump said that the fire was Komi he recommended that U.S. attorney General Jeff sessions and his Deputy, Rod Rosenstein. The media published a memo Rosenstein, in which he calls for the restoration of public confidence in the FBI:
according to the Deputy head of the Ministry of justice, the behavior of the Komi Republic, many in the US perceived as his attempt to intervene in politics that has undermined the confidence of Americans to his office.
In his letter, trump also stressed that the decision to dismiss Komi has nothing to do with the investigation of his environment ties with Russia.
It is possible that the case of e-mail Clinton was only a pretext for dismissal. As Vox notes, all related case charges leveled against Komi before trump asked him to remain in charge of the FBI. In addition, The New York Times, citing its own sources in the presidential administration reported a week ago the attorney General was requested “to find the reason for the dismissal of Komi”. Finally, the speed at which it was decided to dismiss the Director of the FBI, contrasted with how the administration is hesitant trump dismissed the other officers.
Some media referred to the dismissal of James Comey “Watergate trump”. In 1973, at the dawn of the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon fired special Prosecutor, who was investigating. Media do not exclude that the dismissal of Komi Republic is connected with the FBI’s investigation of the contacts of the environment trump with Russia. Against the decision of resignation of James Comey has made, in particular, Edward Snowden — despite the fact that the head of the FBI accused him of espionage. According to Snowden, the solution trump is a direct government intervention in the work of the FBI, and “every American is bound to speak out against”.
Who will replace Komi at the head of the FBI, unknown. In the letter, trump said that the search for a successor will begin immediately. Many members of Congress from both Democratic and Republican parties said that after the resignation of Jasma Komi Republic investigating relations environment trump with Russia should be done by a specially appointed Prosecutor.
Konstantin Benyumov