Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday that he was “troubled” by the White House’s surprise firing of FBI Director James Comey Tuesday evening.
The North Carolina Republican said Comey was a “public servant of the highest order.”
“I am troubled by the timing and reasoning of Director Comey’s termination. I have found Director Comey to be a public servant of the highest order, and his dismissal further confuses an already difficult investigation by the committee. In my interactions with the director and with the bureau under his leadership, he and the FBI have always been straightforward with our committee.
“Director Comey has been more forthcoming with information than any FBI director I can recall in my tenure on the congressional intelligence committees. His dismissal, I believe, is a loss for the bureau and the nation.”
Burr and other members of the committee, which has been probing Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, were privately briefed by Comey in February. The meeting was not announced and the senators present declined to discuss the details with reporters afterward.
