National Brooklyn Boro

Brooklyn pols speak out on Comey firing

May 10, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Former FBI director James Comey. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Former FBI director James Comey. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Share this:

Here’s a summary of the reaction of Brooklyn lawmakers to the sudden and shocking firing of FBI Director James Comey by President Donald Trump that took place on Tuesday:

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Upper West Side-parts of Bay Ridge-Bensonhurst): “We are now careening towards a constitutional crisis in our country with the Administration systematically attacking all of the institutions that are meant to put a check on the power of the President.”

U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Central Brooklyn) made her feelings known on twitter. “We need to know the truth. Americans want to know about @realDonaldTrump‘s connections to Russian agents,” she tweeted.

Subscribe to our newsletters

U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Canarsie-Sheepshead Bay-Coney Island) also took to twitter. “We DEMAND immediate appointment of Independent, Special Prosecutor. Period. Full Stop. It’s time House Republicans put country over party. Choose a side: Trump or Democracy,” he tweeted.

U.S. Rep, Nydia Velazquez (D-Lower Manhattan-Brooklyn Heights-Sunset Park) ssued a statement calling for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate any alleged ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.

“In December, I wrote outgoing Attorney General Lynch to ask that a Special Counsel be appointed to investigate Russia’s meddling in our election. The American people need confidence that a fair, thorough investigation is being conducted. Unfortunately today’s turn of events casts great doubt on the effectiveness of the FBI probe. The Attorney General of the United States recused himself from any investigation into Russian interference of American elections, yet just saw fit to fire the person purportedly investigating. The Deputy Attorney General must appoint a Special Counsel immediately so the American people’s faith in our democratic institutions remains intact,” Velazquez stated.

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (Manhattan’s East Side-North Brooklyn) wrote on twitter about the Comey controversy. “Outrageous that @POTUS fired the very man who was investigating his campaign and associates. We need an independent commission on Russia!” she tweeted.

U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-C-Southwest Brooklyn-Staten Island), the only Republican in the New York City delegation, released a statement.

“The President has the legal authority to dismiss the FBI Director, as Bill Clinton also did in 1993. The controversy surrounding Director Comey’s comments about Secretary Clinton’s e-mails has caused many to lose confidence in his ability to lead the Bureau. I understand that the timing of the President’s decision raises natural questions about impartiality, and those questions must be answered. As a former prosecutor, I believe that a public servant with unimpeachable credentials and a career of independence – somebody like Ray Kelly – serving as FBI Director is critical to affirming the public’s trust. In the meantime, the FBI should continue its work unimpeded, and the House and Senate Intelligence Committees will continue their investigations. I fully support them,” Donovan said.

 


Leave a Comment

Related Articles

Leave a Comment