Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Tuesday night he supports President Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, and said some of Comey’s recent decisions, including his handling of the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server, “have prompted concern,” from both parties and law enforcement experts.
Grassley said trust in Comey, “has clearly been lost.”
Here is his full statement:
Over the course of the last several months, Director Comey’s decisions on controversial matters have prompted concern from across the political spectrum and from career law enforcement experts.
The handling of the Clinton email investigation is a clear example of how Comey’s decisions have called into question the trust and political independence of the FBI. In my efforts to get answers, the FBI, under Comey’s leadership, has been slow or failed to provide information that Comey himself pledged to provide.
The effectiveness of the FBI depends upon the public trust and confidence. Unfortunately, this has clearly been lost.
The FBI Director serves at the pleasure of the president. Under these circumstances, President Trump accepted the recommendation of the Justice Department that the Director lacked the confidence needed to carry out his important duties.
