Schumer Remarks on the Firing of FBI Director James Comey

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer delivered the following remarks at a press availability in response to the firing of FBI Director James Comey:

Earlier this afternoon, President Trump called me and informed me he was firing Director Comey

I told the President, ‘Mr. President, with all due respect, you are making a big mistake.’

The first question the administration has to answer is: why now?

If the administration had objections to the way Director Comey handled the Clinton investigation, they had those objections the minute the President got into office.

But they didn’t fire him then.

Why did it happen today?

We know that the House is investigating Russian interference in our election that benefitted the Trump campaign. We know the Senate is investigating. We know the FBI has been looking into whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians -- a very serious offense.

Were those investigations getting too close to home for the President?

It is troubling that Attorney General Sessions, who had recused himself from the Russia investigation, played a role in firing the man leading it.

So what happens now?

Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein sat in the Judiciary Committee and promised to appoint a special prosecutor at the appropriate time.

That time is right now.

The American people’s trust in our criminal justice system is in Mr. Rosenstein’s hands.

Mr. Rosenstein, America depends on you to restore faith in our criminal justice system, which is going to be badly shattered after the Administration’s actions today.

This is part of a deeply troubling pattern from the Trump administration. They fired Sally Yates. They fired Preet Bharara. And now they’ve fired Director Comey, the very man leading the investigation

This does not seem to be a coincidence.

This investigation must be run as far away as possible from this White House and as far away as possible from anyone that President Trump has appointed.

Given the way the President has fired Director Comey, any person who he appoints to lead the Russia investigation will be concerned that he or she will meet the same fate as Director Comey if they run afoul of the administration.

The American people need to have faith that an investigation as serious as this one is being conducted impartially, without a shred of bias.

The only way the American people can have faith in this investigation is for it to be led by a fearless, independent special prosecutor

If Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein does not appoint an independent special prosecutor, every American will rightly suspect that the decision to fire Director Comey was part of a cover-up.