THIS situation becomes more dangerous with drumpf/trump actually threatening james comey about what he might say with this morning's tweet.
James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!
From +Mother Jones and +NPR .....
More Than 100 Lawmakers Respond to Comey Firing by Calling for Independent Russia Probe
Even some Republicans want an independent investigation.
More than 100 members of Congress—including a few Republicans—have responded to President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey by calling for an independent investigation or a special prosecutor to look into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections and possible collusion with Trump campaign associates. Comey was in charge of the Russia investigation, and now Trump will have the opportunity to choose his replacement—a situation that presents an obvious conflict of interest.
Among those calling for an independent probe are at least three Republicans—Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, and Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida—as well as nearly every senior Democrat in the House and Senate, including Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the vice chair of the Senate intelligence committee, and Sen. Pat Leahy of Vermont, the second-ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee.
Here are some of the notable reactions to Comey's firing:
"I have long called for a special congressional committee to investigate Russia's interference in the 2016 election. The president's decision to remove the FBI Director only confirms the need and the urgency of such a committee."
"Today’s extraordinary decision raises many questions all of which must be answered. Congress and the American people need a transparent explanation as to how this decision was reached and why it was executed at this time. It is critical that the FBI can continue all of its pending work with independence and integrity – especially the investigation into the Russian government’s efforts to influence our last election and undermine American democracy. Today I reiterate the need for Congress to establish a Select Committee with full investigatory powers to thoroughly examine this matter."
Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.):
My staff and I are reviewing legislation to establish an independent commission on Russia. The second paragraph of this letter is bizarre. twitter.com/cnn/status/862…
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY):
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Senate intelligence committee:
.@POTUS firing #FBIDirector Comey in the middle of his investigation into the Trump campaign demands the appointment of a Special Counsel.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House select intelligence committee:
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.):
We need a real, independent prosecutor who @realDonaldTrump can't fire, Sessions can't intimidate, & Congress can't muzzle. We need it now.
Rep. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii):
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY):
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas):
Meanwhile, a number of other congressional Republicans downplayed the news of Comey's firing:
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine):
U.S. Senator Susan Collins’ Statement on Director Comey#mepolitics collins.senate.gov/newsroom/us-se…
Some took shots at their Democratic colleagues:
Or ignored the news altogether:
Recently we've seen record salmon returns, and I believe that with innovative technology, dams and fish can coexist. seattletimes.com/seattle-news/e…
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BREAKING: FBI Director James Comey Fired
Andy Kroll is an investigative reporter at Mother Jones. For more of his stories, click here. Follow him on Twitter here. Send tips, scoops, and documents to akroll (at) motherjones (dot) com.
Updated: 11:40 a.m. ET
President Trump suggested on Twitter Friday morning there might be recordings of his private conversations with former FBI Director James Comey, whom he fired earlier this week, in an apparent attempt to caution Comey against "leaking to the press."
The president seemed to be responding to news stories coming out since the Tuesday firing, which have contradicted the White House's version of the events.
In fact, in an NBC News interview this week, Trump himself said he was going to fire Comey regardless of the Justice Department's recommendation, even though White House staff and even Vice President Pence had pointed to the recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier in the week.
Multiple outlets have reported that Trump asked Comey for his loyalty at a private dinner in January but that the then-FBI director "declined to make that pledge," The New York Times reported.
It's unclear whether the "tapes" Trump alluded to in his tweet would be audio or video recordings, or whether they exist at all. As The Washington Post pointed out, the president used a similar construction in his wiretapping accusations against former President Barack Obama.
Soon after Trump's tweets, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., requested that White House Counsel Donald McGahn turn over any recordings of the president's conversations with Comey to the House Oversight Committee. Krishnamoorthi also asked for any recording of Trump's Wednesday meeting with Russian officials, and "any conversations regarding the hiring or firing" former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
"These White House tapes could accelerate current investigations as previous tapes have aided past inquiries," Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.
In his Friday morning tweetstorm, the president also suggested that his administration could do away with briefings for the press, and instead give out written statements.
Trump added that "as a very active president with lots of things happening," it's impossible for him to stay in such close communication with his staff that the briefings would be completely accurate.
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