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Here’s what MI lawmakers are saying about James Comey’s firing

Posted at 12:48 PM, May 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-10 12:57:59-04

Fmr. FBI Dir. James Comey

President Donald Trump's unexpected and abrupt decision on Tuesdayto fire FBI Director James Comey has prompted swift reaction from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Comey's firing comes as he was leading the investigation into whether Trump's campaign and his associates worked with Russia to swing the 2016 election. The move has prompted several Michigan lawmakers to renew calls for an independent investigation into the matter.

In his brief letter Tuesday to Comey, Trump said the firing was necessary to restore “public trust and confidence” in the FBI. The administration paired the letter with a scathing review by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein of how Comey handled the investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s email practices, including his decision to hold a news conference announcing its findings and releasing “derogatory information” about Clinton.

On Wednesday, Trump defended his firing of FBI Director James Comey, asserting in a flurry of tweets Wednesday that Republicans and Democrats “will be thanking me.” Trump did not mention any effect the firing might have on the probe into contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia.

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade

The conservative Freedom Caucus member called for an independent commission to investigate alleged Russian ties with the Trump campaign and his associates.

In a tweet Tuesday, Amash referred to the second paragraph of termination letter Trump sent to Comey as “bizarre.”

The paragraph being referenced reads in part:

While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph