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FBI Director James Comey Sacked
The Washington Post reports that:
FBI Director James B. Comey has been dismissed by the president [...] a startling move that officials said stemmed from a conclusion by Justice Department officials that he had mishandled the probe of Hillary Clinton's emails.
Previously:
Clinton Told FBI She Relied on Others' Judgment on Classified Material
FBI Recommends No Prosecution for Clinton
F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump
President Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey:
President Trump has fired the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, over his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, the White House said Tuesday.
[...] Under the F.B.I.'s normal rules of succession, Mr. Comey's deputy, Andrew G. McCabe, a career F.B.I. officer, becomes acting director. The White House said the search for a new director will begin immediately.
I never liked Comey (see this cluster of stories), but I doubt there will ever be an FBI Director I like.
Related:
We're Stuck With Comey
Earlier in the day...
FBI Director Comey Misstated Huma Abedin Evidence at Last Week's Hearing
ProPublica reports that most of FBI Director James Comey's testimony to Congress last Wednesday related to Huma Abedin's mishandling of classified emails was inaccurate, and that FBI officials are privately acknowledging the mistake(s) but are still considering their next move:
FBI director James Comey generated national headlines last week with his dramatic testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, explaining his "incredibly painful" decision to go public about the Hillary Clinton emails found on Anthony Weiner's laptop.
Perhaps Comey's most surprising revelation was that Huma Abedin — Weiner's wife and a top Clinton deputy — had made "a regular practice" of forwarding "hundreds and thousands" of Clinton messages to her husband, "some of which contain classified information." Comey testified that Abedin had done this so that the disgraced former congressman could print them out for her boss. (Weiner's laptop was seized after he came under criminal investigation for sex crimes, following a media report about his online relationship with a teenager.)
The New York Post plastered its story on the front page with a photo of an underwear-clad Weiner and the headline: "HARD COPY: Huma sent Weiner classified Hillary emails to print out." The Daily News went with a similar front-page screamer: "HUMA ERROR: Sent classified emails to sext maniac Weiner."
The problem: Much of what Comey said about this was inaccurate. Now the FBI is trying to figure out what to do about it. FBI officials have privately acknowledged that Comey misstated what Abedin did and what the FBI investigators found. On Monday, the FBI was said to be preparing to correct the record by sending a letter to Congress later this week. But that plan now appears on hold, with the bureau undecided about what to do.
[...] According to two sources familiar with the matter — including one in law enforcement — Abedin forwarded only a handful of Clinton emails to her husband for printing — not the "hundreds and thousands" cited by Comey. It does not appear Abedin made "a regular practice" of doing so. Other officials said it was likely that most of the emails got onto the computer as a result of backups of her Blackberry.
Also at Washington Post (alternate analysis), The Hill, The New York Post, and USA Today.
Original Submission #1 Original Submission #2 Original Submission #3
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday May 10 2017, @02:44AM (4 children)
The comments here are mostly partisan. Progressives are shocked, conservatives are smug.
How about this? Comey allowed politics to interfere with his job. He deserved to be sacked for that fact alone. To hell with what his politics are. He allowed politics to enter into law enforcement. It was his job to enforce the law, not to make judgement calls about who he was going after, and who he wanted to please. Comey also likes the limelight. That makes him unfit for the job, in addition to politics.
I've been waiting for Comey to go. Call me smug, if you like, but my reasons for being smug differ from most of the conservatives/Republicans/whatever.
The man was simply unfit for the job.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 10 2017, @03:04AM
Comey allowed politics to interfere with his job.
If he did, then it was neither democratic or republican politics.
Comey was always about a third 'political' group - himself and the FBI as an extension of himself.
I think he made a bunch of blatantly self-serving decisions. But he was never a tool of either party.
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Wednesday May 10 2017, @03:13AM
Heh I noticed that partisanship too. I'd make another post of frothing rambling rage but I don't feel like a catharsis at the moment. Enjoyable though it would be for this summary. I don't actually have much of a comment on the topic because I fully expect another worm like the ones you describe with regard to politics/law and favor trading. Just one that likes limelight less.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 2) by fritsd on Wednesday May 10 2017, @01:03PM (1 child)
That's a very refreshing angle, runaway.
Here's another one:
What would J. Edgar Hoover have done??
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday May 10 2017, @02:22PM
Honestly, I've never really looked at Hoover. I don't know what motivated him, don't know why he did the things he did. There are some good things to be said about Hoover, and some bad - but I never cared enough to really look at the man.
Want a wild guess, without any real insight? Hoover lived in a different day and age. It was very common for the media, and everyone associated with the White House to collude to make the President look good. Our pres who was a polio victim? No one ever showed photos of the invalid in the wheelchair. Everyone worked hard to make the man look healthy and strong. Another president known for sleeping around (especially with a particular movie star) was shielded from the gossip columns and other crap.
So, Hoover and Clinton? I suspect that Hoover would have bent over backward to protect the former First Lady. But, that's just a guess. If I knew more about the man, I might hazard a better guess, based on his motivations.
Do YOU have any idea what drove Hoover? I certainly don't.