It's all about the suspicious timing of James Comey brauhaha

Although Donald Trump's Tuesday purge of FBI Director James Comey, in and of itself, doesn't seem to garner much sympathy, the timing of the jolting firing was absolutely horrible. Obviously, James Comey was getting too close to the Russia investigation and Donald Trump wanted him gone before any more damaging evidence about the "compromised" administration behavior was revealed. In other words, in my opinion, James Comey had a line of evidence connecting Lt. General Mike Flynn and Donald Trump, to Russia. What other reason could there be, to fire Comey, without warning? This timing is suspicious.

Former FBI Director James Comey- fired in an apparent angry move by Donald Trump, in his effort to squelch the Russia-Trump investigation

Donald Trump fired James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, the White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday.

Certainly, Donald Trump demonstrated he'll do absolutely anything, dangerous, unethical or untimely, to deter any evidence of his administration's collusion with our international enemy- Vladimir Putin and Russia.  

Alarmingly, the timing of the Comey firing is another dangerous behavioral display by an unstable Donald Trump.

LATimes Reports

As Trump fires FBI director, the political world hits hyperdrive

James Comey was in Los Angeles on Tuesday, chatting with FBI agents and preparing for an evening event, when a TV in the room flashed breaking news from Washington.

Comey had just been fired as FBI director by President Trump.

Good morning from the state capital. I’m Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers, and for the umpteenth time in the short presidency of Trump, we’re all left with a collective “wow.” !

Let’s talk about that firing.

‘YOU’RE FIRED’

Citing the need for a “new beginning" at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the president sent a short and searing termination letter to Comey in the early evening hours in Washington.

Comey then made his way back east from Los Angeles, followed in classic L.A. television style by news choppers as his caravan wound its way to LAX.

The FBI has been the lead agency investigating alleged ties between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russian intelligence agencies in 2016. There was widespread agreement that, if nothing else, the timing of Trump’s decision looked bad.

Comey had already spent several days in high-profile settings, having testified on Capitol Hill last Tuesday about his decision to publicly re-open the Hillary Clinton investigation in October, just 11 days before the election. That action was specifically referenced in the memorandum dated Tuesday from Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, cited as a failing on Comey’s part.

Earlier in the day, published reports had cast doubt on the way Comey had described the Clinton emails found on a computer belonging to the husband of aide Huma Abedin.

Be sure to take a look at our annotated version of the letter than ended Comey’s tenure at the FBI.

COMEY: THE REACTION

Democrats swiftly pounced on Trump’s decision, calling it “Nixonian” in the early hours after the news broke. (The president, not surprisingly, took to Twitter to fight back.)

Not that all of the hand wringing came from Democrats. North Carolina Republican Sen. Richard Burr said he was “troubled by the timing and reasoning” Comey’s dismissal.

The only real praise for Trump’s action, other than from his staffers, came from longtime confidant Roger Stone, who said it was “about time” that Comey was removed from the job.

COMEY: THE BACKSTORY

For a law enforcement official who had worked hard to stay above the political fray, writes Jackie Calmes, Comey’s fall was a fast one.

He was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2013 after a long government career that included stints as U.S. attorney in New York and as deputy attorney general during the administration of former President George W. Bush.

Comey became a hero to many for refusing to sign off on warrantless wiretaps during the Bush administration, then a villain to both sides for his handling of 2016 campaign investigations.

And then, as Evan Halper writes, Comey found himself praised by Trump. But on Tuesday — months after being urged by the political newcomer of a president to go after Clinton — he was seemingly fired for doing just that.

A reminder that our team in the nation’s capital will have their hands full keeping track of developments today in the wake of Comey’s firing. Be sure to keep up with all of it on our Essential Washington news feed.

WHO’S IN CHARGE NOW?

The man at the helm of the FBI as the sun rises on Wednesday is Andrew McCabe, who has made a career out of shunning the spotlight. That might not last much longer.

Del Quentin Wilber wrote a profile of McCabe in 2016 that’s worth a read.

AND WE THOUGHT THE YATES TESTIMONY WAS BIG

How time flies, right? As of midday Tuesday, political watchers were still buzzing about Monday’s riveting Yates testimony (from former acting Atty. Gen. Sally Yates).

Yes, it seems so long ago that we were talking about Yates’ testimony that she warned the Trump administration about former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s connections with Russian officials.
“You don’t want the Russians to have leverage over the national security advisor," Yates said.