President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey who was leading the investigation into whether his election campaign had ties to Russia’s alleged interference in the US polls.
In a letter, Mr. Trump told Comey that he was no longer effectively able to lead the bureau and it was necessary to restore public trust and confidence in it.
The shocking move comes days after Comey testified on Capitol Hill about the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s election meddling and a possible collusion between the country and Trump’s campaign.
In the letter, Trump acknowledged that Comey had informed him on three separate occasions that he was not under investigation.
The White House said the search for a new FBI director would begin immediately.
In a statement released by the White House, Trump mentioned the FBI was one of America’s most cherished and respected institutions and the dismissal will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement.
Comey had courted controversy during the 2016 presidential polls when he revealed a renewed investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email use, which the Democrat claimed had hurt her chances of becoming president.
FBI: Know More- Formed: July 26, 1908; 108 years ago as the Bureau of Investigation
- Jurisdiction: U.S. Government
- Headquarters: J. Edgar Hoover Building Northwest, Washington, D.C., U.S.
- Motto: Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity
- Employees: 35,104 (as on October 31, 2014)
- Annual budget: 8.3 billion USD (FY 2014)
