Alwaght- US President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey, saying Comey was no longer able to effectively lead the law enforcement agency.
"Today, President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement on Tuesday. "President Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions."
Comey had been leading an FBI investigation into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion with Trump's campaign. His dismissal on Tuesday will likely fuel concerns about the integrity of the probe and renew calls for an independent investigation.
The FBI director had been embroiled in a controversy surrounding his probe into whether Clinton's use of a private email server while US secretary of state during President Barack Obama's first term compromised national security.
"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," Trump said in a letter to Comey released by the White House.
"It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission".
Trump told Comey in the letter he accepted the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he could no longer provide effective leadership. Comey's term was to run through September 2023.
