President Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James B. Comey on Tuesday, stating that his ouster was required to restore “public trust and confidence” in the FBI.
RELATED: Trump Defends Comey Firing, Says Both Parties Will Thank Him
His firing brings into question the future of an ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign’s alleged connections to Russia, and Russia's possible collusion with the Trump campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The reaction from politicians and government officials has varied, with some praising the president’s move and others condemning it as a “Nixonian” ploy to halt the Russian investigation.
The reaction from San Diego’s politicians has also been mixed:
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista
"From Director Comey's botched efforts to obtain a backdoor into American's digital privacy, to his mishandling of one of the most politically sensitive investigations in a lifetime, Director Comey had lost my confidence long ago. Democrats and Republicans alike have called for his ouster, and new leadership at the FBI will restore confidence in the agency. With much important work to be done, we now must immediately appoint a replacement who can have the trust of the American people to carry out the duties of the FBI independently, impartially, and free of political influence."
Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego
"The firing of FBI Director James Comey has raised many red flags. It is clear that now, more than ever, we need an independent, bipartisan commission to help us get to the bottom of the Trump/Russia investigation. The American people deserve to know the truth, for the sake of our country and our democracy."
With each passing day, it’s more clear that we won't get to the truth on #TrumpRussia unless there's an independent investigation. #COMEY
— Rep. Susan Davis (@RepSusanDavis) May 10, 2017
Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego
"Firing law enforcement officers who may be investigating you or your associates and then appointing their replacements is something that happens in dictatorships — not in the United States of America. This move from the President is breathtaking in its brazen disregard for the independence of our justice system. Republican members of Congress who fail to stand up against this are complicit in this assault on our democracy...
Never before has it been clearer that the integrity of our democracy depends on an independent commission to investigate Russian interference in our election and a special prosecutor at the Department of Justice to follow an investigation to wherever - and whomever - it leads. Anyone who stands in the way of an independent investigation denies the American people the answers they deserve."
