who is the deputy attorney who wrote letter to fire comey

by Demarco Beatty 3 min read

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May 10, 2017 · Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein penned the memo recommending Comey's dismissal President Donald Trump followed the recommendation of his deputy attorney general when he fired FBI boss James...

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Is Rod Rosenstein still at the Department of Justice?

Rosenstein submitted his official resignation as deputy attorney general on April 29, 2019, which took effect on May 11, 2019. Rosenstein joined the law firm King & Spalding's D.C. Office as a partner on the "Special Matters and Government Investigations" team in January 2020.

Who is attorney general after Comey?

James ComeyPreceded byRobert MuellerSucceeded byChristopher A. Wray31st United States Deputy Attorney GeneralIn office December 9, 2003 – August 15, 200524 more rows

Who replaced J Edgar Hoover?

J. Edgar HooverPresidentCalvin Coolidge Herbert Hoover Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman Dwight D. Eisenhower John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson Richard NixonDeputyClyde TolsonPreceded byWilliam J. BurnsSucceeded byClarence M. Kelley18 more rows

Who is the FBI director now?

Christopher WrayThe FBI is led by a Director, who is appointed by the U.S. President and confirmed by the Senate for a term not to exceed 10 years. The current Director is Christopher Wray. You can find information on all Directors who have served the FBI on our History website.

When did Comey testify?

FBI Director James Comey arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 3. The White House removed him from his role Tuesday. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

What did Rosenstein say about the FBI?

On Tuesday, Rosenstein detailed his case in a letter, titled "Restoring public confidence in the FBI, " and sent it to Sessions earlier in the day. "The FBI's reputation and credibility have suffered substantial damage, and it has affected the entire Department of Justice. That is deeply troubling to many Department employees and veterans, legislators and citizens," Rosenstein said. "I cannot defend the directors handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton's emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment that he was mistaken."

Who is James Comey?

James Comey was controversially fired from his position as director of the FBI after his work probing whether members of Donald Trump's campaign team colluded with Russia.

How accurate is The Comey Rule?

The Comey Rule is a political drama based on the book A Higher Loyalty written by the former FBI director shortly after he was fired.

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Overview

Dismissal

On May 8, 2017, Trump directed Attorney General Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein to provide advice and input in writing. On Trump's direction, on May 9, Rosenstein prepared and delivered a memorandumto Sessions relating to Comey (Sessions and Rosenstein had already begun considering whether to dismiss Comey months earlier). Rosenstein's memorandum said th…

Background

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is appointed by the President and, since 1972, confirmed by the Senate. Beginning in 1976, the director's term has been limited to ten years, which is a relatively long tenure that is meant to deter political pressure. The term can be extended with the approval of the Senate. Nevertheless, although the FBI director is appointed fo…

Post-dismissal

Criticism of Trump's decision came immediately from various experts on governance and authoritarianism, and various politicians from across the political spectrum. Top Republicanpoliticians supported the firing. Many elected officials called for a special prosecutor or independent commission to continue the investigation into Russia's influence on the election, while some Republica…

FBI investigation of Russian interference

In the Comey termination letter, Trump asserted that Comey had told him on three occasions that he (Trump) was not under investigation. The assertion was challenged. Fact checkers reported that while they had no way of knowing what Comey may have told Trump privately, no such assertion was on the public record, and the White House declined to provide any more detail. According to …

Reactions from Congress

Several Democratic members of Congress – among them, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, and California Rep. Maxine Waters – and some commentators suggested that Trump's rationale for Comey's dismissal in the interview amounted to a de facto admission to obstruction of justice. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democratic membersaid it was "ex…

Commentary

A number of professors of law, political science, and history have criticized the firing and argue that Trump's action destabilizes democratic norms and the rule of law in the U.S. Some have argued that Trump's action creates a constitutional crisis. Parallels have been drawn with other leaders who have slowly eroded democratic norms in their countries, such as Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or Hungary's Viktor Orbán; political science professor Sheri Bermansaid those lea…

Testimony

In Comey's June 8 testimony, he said it was not for him to say whether Trump's February 14 request amounted to obstruction of justice, adding "But that's a conclusion I'm sure the special counsel will work toward, to try and understand what the intention was there and whether that's an offense." Some legal experts have said that Comey's testimony advanced the argument that Trump attempted to obstruct justice in his dealings with then-FBI Director James Comey. Diane …