Democratic senators sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to fire FBI director James Comey on Tuesday, with some calling for a special prosecutor to investigate Russian meddling into the 2016 US election and any connection to Trump’s aides.
“This is Nixonian,” Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey said in a statement. “Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein must immediately appoint a special counsel to continue the Trump/Russia investigation.”
Casey cited Comey’s testimony last week before Congress where he confirmed the Department of Justice’s investigation of Russian meddling included “investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination.”
“We are careening ever closer to a Constitutional crisis, and this development only underscores why we must appoint a special prosecutor to fully investigate any dealings the Trump campaign or administration had with Russia,” said Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, in a statement.
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. Lindsey Graham, who is leading one of four investigations into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, said he supports Trump’s decision to fire Comey.
“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.”
Members of the Senate judiciary committee, including Graham, pressed Comey last week on his handling of the case surrounding Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. Comey testified that he unveiled the results of the FBI’s Clinton email probe shortly before the election because he felt like the independence of the FBI would appear to be compromised by Bill Clinton’s meeting a month earlier with then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
One of the committee’s top Democrats, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, said Trump called her to let her know that he’d fired Comey.
“The next FBI director must be strong and independent and will receive a fair hearing in the Judiciary Committee,” Feinstein said in a brief statement.
At last week’s hearing, Comey confirmed that the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russian officials was continuing.
This story will be updated to reflect additional news.