Below is President Donald Trump's full letter to James Comey terminating him from the position of FBI director, dated May, 9, 2017. 
 
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 Dear Director Comey: 
 
 I have received the attached letters from the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the United States recommending your dismissal as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I have accepted their recommendation and you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately. 
 
 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. It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores the public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission. 
 
 I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Donald J. Trump 
 
 Preview all documents released by the White House relating to Comey's firing below: ||||| President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday, saying he'd lost confidence in his ability to manage the bureau. This capped a difficult year for Comey, whose handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation drew scrutiny from both sides of the aisle. 
 
 Shortly after the news broke, CNN reported that it learned of federal subpoenas seeking business records related to Michael Flynn in the hours before Comey's firing, in an apparent expansion of the FBI's investigation into ties between Trump associates and Russia. 
 
 
 
 White House officials are denying that Comey's firing had anything to do with the probe — deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said it's time to move on from the Russia investigation entirely. Meanwhile, Trump has gone after Chuck Schumer. He will meet Wednesday in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. 
 
 Full coverage: How the White House is spinning it, concerns in the Clinton camp, GOP senators raise questions, comparisons to Nixon, full reaction roundup, timeline of how we got here, the pattern of who Trump has fired, GOP congressman wants independent probe, the letters that got Comey fired, news orgs prepare for leaks 
 
 Key questions and answers on Comey's firing: 
 
 What happened? Trump informed Comey in a letter that he was terminated "effective immediately." CNN reports Trump's private security guard may have delivered the letter to the FBI, but Comey was in Los Angeles. Per NYT's Michael Schmidt, he was addressing FBI employees there when news of his firing flashed on T.V. screens in the background, and he originally thought it was a prank. What did Trump say? He appreciated Comey informing him "on three separate occasions that I am not under investigation" but "you are not able to effectively lead the bureau." Was it really so sudden? Per Schmidt, "WH and DOJ had been working on firing Comey since at least last week. Sessions had been working to come up with reasons." What happens next? Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe will serve as acting director until a permanent replacement is nominated. The position requires Senate confirmation. How are Democrats reacting? Many are drawing comparisons to Watergate, and Chuck Schumer is calling for an independent Russia probe How are Republicans reacting? Most are lining up behind Trump but Senate Intelligence chairman Richard Burr said he was "troubled by the timing and reasoning of Director Comey's termination," and John McCain has renewed his call for an independent Russia investigation. What did Obama and Clinton say? "No comment," via their spokespeople. 
 
 Perspectives and analysis: 
 
 Peter Baker, NYT 
 
 "The appointment of a successor to Mr. Comey could touch off a furious fight since anyone he would choose would automatically come under suspicion. A confirmation fight could easily distract Mr. Trump's White House at a time when it wants the Senate to focus on passing legislation to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law." 
 
 Evan Osnos, the New Yorker 
 
 "Serious question: Where are Comey's files right now? Who controls them? After Nixon fired special prosecutor, office was sealed. Important." 
 
 Benjamin Wittes and Susan Hennessey, Lawfare blog 
 
 "The FBI Director serves a ten-year term precisely in order to insulate against the whims of a President who does not like what—or whom—the FBI is investigating. While the President has legal authority to fire an FBI director, the fact that Trump has done so under circumstances of an active FBI investigation of the President's own campaign violates profoundly important norms of an independent, non-political FBI." 
 
 Amanda Carpenter, former GOP strategist 
 
 "If Trump thinks he had problems w/leaks before, just wait. He abruptly fired the leader to whom many FBI folks are loyal. Blowback is coming." 
 
 The full statement from the White House: 
 
 
 
 Today, President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office. President Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "The FBI is one of our Nation's most cherished and respected institutions and today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement," said President Trump. A search for a new permanent FBI Director will begin immediately. 
 
 From Trump's letter to Comey: 
 
 "... you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately. While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau." 
 
 From Sessions' recommendation: 
 
 "As Attorney General I am committed to a high level of discipline, integrity, and the rule of law to the department of justice- an institution that I deeply respect. Based on my evaluation, and for the reasons expressed by the deputy attorney general in the attached memorandum, I have concluded that a fresh start is needed at the leadership of the FBI." 
 
 From Rosenstein's recommendation: 
 
 "Over the past year, however, the FBI's reputation and credibility have suffered substantial damage, and it has affected the entire department of justice...."As you and I have discussed, however, I cannot defend the director's handling of the conclusion of the investigation of secretary Clinton's emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly-universal judgement that he was mistaken. Almost everyone agrees that the Director made serious mistakes; it is one of the few issues that unites people of diverse perspective." ||||| WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s decision to fire the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the midst of the bureau’s probe into his campaign associates’ possible links to Russia added impetus to calls for a special counsel to handle the case. 
 
 The sudden move by Mr. Trump on Tuesday galvanized Democrats, who said James Comey’s dismissal would sap ongoing federal investigations of any credibility and underscored the need for an independent person to oversee the probe and any subsequent prosecution. Many compared the firing to Richard Nixon’s Justice Department dismissals during the Watergate scandal. 
 
 “This is Nixonian,” Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) said in a statement, in which he called for an independent investigation into possible Trump-Russia ties. 
 
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 Republicans, meanwhile, acknowledged the timing and circumstances of Mr. Comey’s firing looked bad, though many stopped short of calling for a special counsel. 
 
 Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, the North Carolina Republican leading the Senate investigation, said the FBI director’s dismissal “further confuses an already difficult investigation by the committee.” 
 
 Without a special counsel, a new FBI director appointed by Mr. Trump would oversee the probe, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, appointed by Mr. Trump earlier this year, would decide whether to move forward with any charges or prosecution. 
 
 President Trump dropped a political bombshell on Tuesday when he fired FBI Director James Comey. WSJ's Gerald F. Seib examines how Comey's exit affects the investigations into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Photo: Getty 
 
 Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the case in March, after meetings he held with the Russian ambassador during the presidential campaign became public. 
 
 Both Mr. Sessions and Mr. Rosenstein were involved in making the recommendation to the White House that Mr. Comey be fired, according to statements and letters the White House released Tuesday. 
 
 The cloud over the Russia probe is likely to challenge Mr. Trump when he seeks Senate confirmation for his choice to replace Mr. Comey. Democrats are all but certain to oppose his nominee without the appointment of a special counsel. 
 
 With 52 seats in the Senate, Republicans can still confirm the nominee on their own along partisan lines. But Republicans who have expressed concerns about Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential campaign could choose to resist. 
 
 The FBI’s investigation of Trump associates’ potential ties to Russia has been continuing apace, and in recent weeks Mr. Comey had been receiving regular updates on its progress, according to people familiar with the matter. 
 
 In closed-door meetings with congressional intelligence committee members, Mr. Comey had provided updates on the probe’s progress. Some had expressed frustration that the director wasn’t more forthcoming with information. 
 
 At the same time, congressional investigators from the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have also been intensifying their own probes. 
 
 Lawmakers are considering issuing subpoenas of witnesses, who were directed to hand over documents and records of their own contacts with Russian officials, according to people familiar with the matter. 
 
 Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D., Va.) called Mr. Trump’s decision shocking and said it was “deeply troubling” during an active counterintelligence investigation into improper contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia. 
 
 “The only way this administration can begin to demonstrate a commitment to the rule of law, which has so far been sorely lacking, is to cooperate fully with the ongoing congressional investigations and to support the appointment of an independent special counsel,” Mr. Warner said. 
 
 Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said he was disappointed in Mr. Trump’s decision and reiterated his calls for a special congressional committee, apart from the Senate and House Intelligence Committees already conducting probes, to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. 
 
 President Donald Trump was asked about the sudden firing of FBI Director James Comey during a photo session with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. On Capitol Hill, Vice President Mike Pence took tough questions about Comey's ouster. Photo: Getty 
 
 “The president’s decision to remove the FBI director only confirms the need and the urgency of such a committee,” Mr. McCain said. He didn’t mention the possibility of appointing a special counsel. 
 
 Most other Republicans in Congress stopped short of calling for a special counsel, setting up the issue as a potentially rancorous source of conflict between the two parties for weeks to come. 
 
 Sen. Marco Rubio said it was for others to decide whether a special prosecutor was merited. The Florida Republican, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the panel’s investigation into the election would continue unaffected. 
 
 Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.) accepted the case for Mr. Comey’s removal as “thorough” but said the timing would raise questions. 
 
 “It is essential that ongoing investigations are fulsome and free of political interference until their completion, and it is imperative that President Trump nominate a well-respected and qualified individual to lead the bureau at this critical time,” Mr. Corker said. 
 
 Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, said she didn’t expect the dismissal of Mr. Comey to affect the FBI’s investigation. 
 
 “The president didn’t fire the entire FBI. He fired the director of the FBI,” Ms. Collins said in an interview on PBS. “I have every confidence that the FBI will continue pursuing its investigation into the Russian attempts to influence the elections last fall.” 
 
 Democrats in Congress, meanwhile, made increasingly vociferous calls for a special counsel, decrying Mr. Trump’s behavior as alarming, threatening and Nixonian. 
 
 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), called on Mr. Trump’s deputy attorney general to appoint a special counsel. Otherwise, he said, Americans will “rightly suspect” the firing is a coverup. 
 
 “Mr. Rosenstein, America depends on you to restore faith in our criminal justice system, which is going to be badly shattered after the administration’s actions today,” Mr. Schumer said at a press conference. 
 
 “This investigation must be run as far away as possible from this White House and as far away as possible from anyone that President Trump has appointed,” Mr. Schumer added. 
 
 Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Mr. Trump’s decision to dismiss Mr. Comey without addressing the profound conflict of interest regarding the Russia investigation resembled a “similarly tainted decision by Richard Nixon.” 
 
 “The same president who has called the investigation into the Russian hacking of our democracy and the potential complicity of his campaign a ‘fake’ cannot pretend to have made such a decision uninfluenced by his concerns over Comey’s continued involvement in the investigation,” Mr. Schiff said. 
 
 —Janet Hook and Byron Tau contributed to this article. 
 
 Write to Paul Sonne at paul.sonne@wsj.com, Shane Harris at shane.harris@wsj.com and Carol E. Lee at carol.lee@wsj.com ||||| As the news broke late this afternoon, the politicos of Washington stared into their smartphones, stunned, struggling with what to make of it. TV networks cut into their regularly scheduled programming. Chyrons promising “breaking news” actually delivered it: President Donald Trump had fired FBI Director James Comey. 
 
 Though the story is still developing and our understanding of it is evolving, we know a few basic facts. We know that Trump cited Comey’s handling of the inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails as a reason for his firing. We know that Comey’s FBI had been investigating whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. What we don’t know is where all this ends. 
 
 Story Continued Below 
 
 Is this a constitutional crisis? If not, what is it, and how dangerous? Politico Magazine asked an all-star panel of legal minds to offer their insights and tell us just what to make of it. 
 
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 It’s either ‘comforting’ or ‘alarming’ 
 
 Cass Sunstein is professor at Harvard Law School. From 2009 to 2012, he was administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. 
 
 There are two ways to understand President Trump's firing of James Comey, and neither is unreasonable. The first is that in light of the multiple controversies that came to surround Comey, he was rightly fired. The FBI director needs to be widely trusted by the American people. Comey is not widely trusted. For the FBI, a fresh start is a good idea. 
 
 The second is that Trump does not want an independent FBI director; he wants someone who is fully subservient to him. Everyone should agree that Comey is not a subservient type. Like him or not, he is no one's lackey. When Comey is in charge of an investigation, he goes where the facts take him (by his own lights). He insists on exercising his own judgment. 
 
 The first understanding is comforting; the second is alarming. Whether one or the other is right (or both), it is the responsibility of the Senate to ensure that the new FBI director is a person of unimpeachable professionalism, nonpartisanship and integrity. At this point in our history, the United States is struggling with unusually high levels of polarization and distrust, and the FBI is engaged in investigations that involve the White House itself. The Senate's responsibility has never been more solemn. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘The rule of law will disintegrate’ 
 
 Robert Post is a professor at Yale Law School and a member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Law Institute. 
 
 Faith in the integrity of government institutions is a precious social resource. No society can run without it. That integrity depends upon trust, and trust is as much a matter of appearance as it is of reality. No one can know the inner workings of the president’s mind. But we can know that he consistently acts in ways that flout the creation of trust. The firing of FBI Director Comey, at a moment when Comey was investigating the president, is simply the latest and most egregious example of Trump’s disregard for appearances. 
 
 If the president continues to act in this way, we shall rapidly descend into a terrifying state of social dissolution. The rule of law will disintegrate. That will endanger everyone who cares about this country. If ever there was a time for politicians to put the interests of the nation above those of partisan self-interest, it is now. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘Trump’s actions were entirely constitutional’ 
 
 Josh Blackman is a constitutional law professor at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and the author of Unraveled: Obamacare, Religious Liberty, and Executive Power. 
 
 Under the Constitution, the president has the absolute power to fire principal officers, such as Director Comey, at will. In that sense, Trump’s actions were entirely constitutional. Indeed, the termination was accompanied by a fairly elaborate set of reasons by the deputy attorney general. 
 
 As for whether there is a crisis, we must keep in mind that Comey’s replacement must be approved and confirmed by the Senate. Both Republicans and Democrats will have a say in who heads the agency going forward. At bottom, this is a political question, which ultimately the electorate can decide. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 'Trump made the only legally correct call' 
 
 Elizabeth Price Foley is a professor of law at Florida International University. 
 
 The FBI director, like all other officers of the executive branch, is an at will employee, which means he can be fired at any time, at the sole discretion of the president. When the deputy attorney general concluded that Director Comey usurped the role of the Department of Justice in his decision not to recommend prosecution of Hillary Clinton, President Trump made the only legally correct call, to fire the director. The country deserves an FBI director who respects his limited role as an investigator, and whose reputation is not sullied by inappropriately political behavior. If there is any ongoing FBI investigation into any of Trump's associates, this investigation can and will continue unabated. This is far from a constitutional crisis--it is a confirmation that the Constitution is working exactly as it should. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘It’s a deeply unsettling moment’ 
 
 Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, is the author of The Fight to Vote and The Second Amendment: A Biography. 
 
 It’s a deeply unsettling moment. 
 
 This has every appearance of a brazen cover-up, a possible act of obstruction of justice, just as much as Richard Nixon firing the Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox in October 1973. That’s the only comparable historical precedent. That led to a constitutional crisis and a public outpouring of anger. Will this? 
 
 Trump's rationale is transparently, laughably absurd. Does anyone actually believe that Donald Trump fired Comey because Comey was unfair to Hillary Clinton during the campaign? 
 
 Let's be very clear what happened here. For all his flaws and mistakes, Comey is leading an investigation of extraordinary gravity: possible collusion between Trump, his campaign and administration, and a hostile foreign power. Remember, Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation because he himself lied to Congress about conversations with Russia. So he did the next best thing, recommending that the person leading the investigation--Comey--be fired. 
 
 It comes a day after the former Acting Attorney General clearly implied there was an ongoing FBI investigation of Michael Flynn. It comes before Comey was due to testify again. 
 
 Comey made many errors. But does anyone trust Trump to nominate his successor, the person who will effectively lead the investigation? How can Americans have trust in their government without even the pretense of independence for key investigations? 
 
 This is an extraordinary test of our democracy and its institutions. Will the Republicans in Congress stand up for the rule of law and independent investigations, at a time when a hostile foreign power has tried to interfere in our democracy? Will they stand up for country or party? 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘We are not at crisis yet’ 
 
 Robert Chesney is a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, cofounder of the Lawfare Blog, and senior editor for the Journal of National Security Law & Policy. 
 
 Trump was clever here in two respects. First, the timing. He chose a moment of sharply renewed anger on the left regarding Comey's role in the election, and took pains to frame his justification in part in those exact terms. Most of us understand that this is not at all why he fired Comey, of course, but the fact remains that this somewhat wrong-footed his critics. Second, note the critical role played by issuing the memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein alongside the firing letter. Rosenstein is a respected law-and-order figure, with far more credibility than Attorney General Jeff Sessions acting alone. 
 
 All that said, we are not at crisis yet. What matters is who comes next and what happens with the Russia and Flynn investigations. If the Trump team is smart, they will have an established law enforcement professional to nominate. At any rate, it will all come to a head in the Senate Judiciary Committee at that point. Paging Chairman Grassley: The Republic will be looking to you! 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘It's a constitutional crisis’ 
 
 David Cole is the National Legal Director of the ACLU and the Honorable George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy at the Georgetown University Law Center. 
 
 Anytime a sitting president fires the person responsible for investigating his campaign's potential criminal activities, it is a matter of grave public concern. When that criminal investigation involves collaboration with Russia to undermine the U.S. democratic process, it's a constitutional crisis. And when the president offers the most blatant pretext for his action, it is a challenge to the credulity of the American people. Does anybody really believe that he fired the FBI director over his part in resuscitating Trump's campaign? This is the dénouement of the cover-up. But the truth will out, and democracy will prevail, if we insist upon it. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘James Comey needed to be ousted’ 
 
 Saikrishna Prakash is a professor of law at the University of Virginia and a senior fellow at the Miller Center. 
 
 James Comey needed to be ousted, whoever was in the White House. His mishandling of the Clinton investigation and his usurpation of prosecutorial decisions reflected poor judgment and something of a messianic complex. President Trump must be faulted for failing to come to this conclusion months ago. Count on more controversial firings. 
 
 Whether the ouster was related to the investigation of Russian hacking is unclear. But the new FBI Director will have to make all sorts of pledges to conduct an independent investigation in order to secure the Senate's consent. Even as there are profound disagreements about the effects of the hacking and leaks on the election, I believe that there is a firm bipartisan consensus to determine what Russia did during the election and to take steps to ensure it does not happen again. The numerous investigations will continue, albeit without James Comey. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘We should reserve judgment’ 
 
 Jamal Greene is Dwight professor of law at Columbia Law School. 
 
 Allusions to the Saturday Night Massacre are irresistible but premature. President Trump’s firing of James Comey is not a constitutional crisis—yet. We don’t have all the facts, and there is much Congress could do to learn them. 
 
 Given the FBI's ongoing investigation into contacts between Trump campaign personnel and agents of the Russian government, it is crucial that responsible members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are fully briefed—including by Comey himself—on the status of that investigation and how it will be handled going forward. 
 
 We should reserve judgment until that happens—or doesn't. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘We won’t really know … until we know whom Trump nominates’ 
 
 Dan Farber is the Sho Sato Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. 
 
 It’s premature but understandable that some people are calling James Comey’s firing a constitutional crisis. Comey violated clear Justice Department norms by his conduct while investigating Hillary Clinton’s emails. He compounded the offense by making false statements to Congress about Huma Abedin’s allegedly massive forwarding of sensitive emails to her husband, Anthony Weiner. If another president had fired another FBI director for such conduct in a high-profile case, few questions would be raised. 
 
 But this is not just any president or any high-profile case. The real concern here is that Trump has abused the power of his office to protect his political associates from criminal investigation. It’s not paranoia to think that Comey’s conduct concerning the Clinton investigation is merely a pretext for firing him, given that Trump applauded much of that conduct at the time. But we also have no proof that the justifications were pretextual. 
 
 We won’t really know how to interpret the Comey firing until we know whom Trump nominates to replace him. If Trump nominates an independent, respected figure to replace Comey, well and good. If he nominates someone who is compromised by associations with Trump or who lacks credibility as an objective investigator, then it will be fair to start making comparisons to Richard Nixon. That would be the point to start worrying in earnest about a constitutional crisis. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘Not a constitutional crisis’ but it ‘might turn into a major political crisis’ 
 
 Sanford V. Levinson is a professor of government at the University of Texas and a member of the American Law Institute. 
 
 No, this is not (yet) a constitutional crisis, since there’s no doubt about his authority to fire Comey. It would be far closer to a constitutional crisis if Sessions overtly intervened in the investigation or tried to shut it down. 
 
 It might (and I hope will) turn into a major political crisis, which is different. The political crisis arises if and when several major Republicans express significant concern and, among other things, indicate they’ll vote to subpoena Trump’s tax returns. One must assume that most Republicans would in fact prefer Mike Pence as president. He is definitely not “impeachment insurance” in this context. 
 
 
 
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 It may not be a constitutional crisis yet, ‘but it probably will be soon’ 
 
 John Culhane is H. Albert Young Fellow in constitutional law and co-director of the Family Health Law & Policy Institute at Delaware Law School (Widener University). 
 
 Trump’s firing of James Comey isn’t a constitutional crisis yet, but it probably will be soon. That’s because the Republican majority in the U.S. Congress seems to have abandoned any sense of their constitutional responsibility, and are operating solely in service of temporal, political goals. For distressing evidence of this tendency, look back no further than yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: Republicans did their best to deflect attention from the administration’s failure to fire National Security Adviser Mike Flynn immediately after former acting Attorney General Sally Yates told the White House counsel that Flynn could be blackmailed by Russia. Nothing, it seems, will compel the GOP to look at the swelling evidence of possible corruption staring them in the face. 
 
 Whatever Comey’s mistakes might have been in the handling of Hillary Clinton’s email investigation, it’s crazy to think that issue had anything to do with firing him. A few Republicans, like Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, seem to have had enough. Flake tweeted that he can’t find “an acceptable rationale for the timing of Comey’s firing.” So I have some hope that the party’s officeholders might finally buckle under the weight of public opinion—and their constitutional duties—and demand a truly independent investigation of the Trump’s campaign’s possible ties to Russia. That’s our only chance of avoiding a crisis in which the law succumbs to this president, rather than the other way around. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘I nominate Merrick Garland’ 
 
 Geoffrey R. Stone is the Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor of Law at the University of Chicago. 
 
 With Donald Trump’s firing of James Comey, the nation faces a crisis—but the severity of that crisis depends on who the president appoints in his place now. The director of the FBI is a critical figure in American government. The director needs to be an individual of integrity, honesty, experience and sound judgment. The last thing we need is another J. Edgar Hoover. The names tossed around at the moment—Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani—are political cronies of Trump who cannot be trusted at all. 
 
 What we need is someone who graduated summa cum laude as valedictorian from Harvard College and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. Someone who served as a law clerk to a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who served as a United States attorney, who prosecuted the Oklahoma City bombers, who has served as a federal judge and as chief judge of the most important federal court of appeals in the nation. An individual of impeccable credentials, an individual who can restore trust in the FBI, an individual who will once again bring distinction, independence and character to this critical nation office. 
 
 I nominate Merrick Garland to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘The real cause for concern is not so much Comey’s departure as his potential successor’ 
 
 Ilya Somin is Professor of Law at George Mason University, and author of Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter. 
 
 The ultimate impact of the firing of FBI Director James Comey is yet to be determined. We do not yet know whether and to what extent this action has damaged our constitutional system. The real cause for concern is not so much Comey’s departure as his potential successor. 
 
 Comey’s firing comes at a time when he was investigating President Trump’s campaign for possible collusion with Russian intelligence agents. Even some Republican leaders are troubled by that timing. Whether or not that investigation was the cause of Comey’s dismissal, Trump may be tempted to appoint a successor who will go easy on the president and his associates. Libertarian-leaning GOP Rep. Justin Amash has proposed turning the Russia investigation over to an independent commission. In any case, the Senate must categorically refuse to confirm anyone who might not conduct an independent and impartial Russia investigation. 
 
 The potential implications for civil liberties are also significant. During the campaign, Trump showed disdain for freedom of speech, expressed admiration for authoritarian rulers, and threatened to use the powers of government to go after his critics. The FBI wields extensive law enforcement and surveillance authority. Earlier in its history, the agency compiled a sordid record of harassing and intimidating dissenters, most notably Martin Luther King. An FBI director who returns to such tactics would be a serious threat to vital constitutional rights. 
 
 The Senate must rigorously scrutinize whoever Trump nominates as the new FBI director. Otherwise, we might yet come to miss James Comey. 
 
 
 
 *** 
 
 ‘There is good news and bad news’ 
 
 Asha Rangappa is an associate dean at Yale Law and a former special agent in the FBI’s counter-intelligence division in New York 
 
 A central question in the firing of James Comey is whether it will impact the ongoing investigation into Russian election interference and any ties between Russia and associates of the Trump administration. On this front, there is good news and bad news. 
 
 The good news is that a new director would not be able to “stop” the investigation. Ten months in, that train has left the station: The investigation has likely generated thousands of documents with intelligence gleaned from human and electronic sources. The FBI will have integrated those documents into its database and shared them with other intelligence agencies, and federal judges have seen and approved the FISA courts orders which detail significant parts of the investigation. In addition, the New York Office, which is most probably the office of origin for this investigation, is the most independent field office in the FBI (which includes a very active squad investigating Russia). The New York office typically runs its cases the way it wants, often over objections of FBI Headquarters. Reining in the investigation at this stage would be difficult to do, even for the agency’s top official. 
 
 The bad news is that this is (for now) a foreign intelligence investigation and will likely go on for several years. This means it is highly classified, and unless Congress appoints a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation and report on its progress, it will be entirely reliant on the new director to be forthcoming in providing details on the magnitude and nature of the threat(s) we face. For all his public relations shortcomings, Comey proved that he was willing to call the facts as he saw them without regard for partisan politics. The potential danger in choosing a new director who lacks political independence is that they will impede the flow of information from the FBI to Congress, or take into account political considerations in choosing how to present and frame the threat. This would severely undercut Congress’ role in providing meaningful oversight and transparency into the FBI’s investigations, which would be a very troubling shift in the traditional balance of power that has been established between the executive and legislative branches over the last several decades on intelligence issues.ʭ�,�� ||||| In response, Mr. Comey laughed, saying he thought it was a fairly funny prank. 
 
 Then his staff started scurrying around in the background and told Mr. Comey that he should step into a nearby office. 
 
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 Mr. Comey stopped addressing the group. He proceeded to shake hands with the employees he had been speaking to. Then he stepped into a side office, where he confirmed that he had been fired. At that point, he had not heard from the White House. 
 
 Shortly thereafter, a letter from Mr. Trump was delivered to the F.B.I.’s headquarters, just seven blocks from the White House. 
 
 Mr. Comey’s day had begun in Florida, where he spoke to a group of police officers. He then flew to Los Angeles, where he was also scheduled to speak at a diversity meeting. 
 
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 — Michael S. Schmidt 
 
 Subpoenas are issued in Flynn case 
 
 In a sign of the F.B.I.’s intense interest in Mr. Trump’s advisers, a grand jury in Virginia recently issued subpoenas for records related to the former White House national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, according to an official familiar with the case. 
 
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 Mr. Flynn is being investigated for his financial ties to Russia and Turkey. 
 
 Grand jury subpoenas are a routine part of federal investigations and are not a sign that charges are imminent. And it was not clear whether the subpoenas, first reported by CNN, were related to Mr. Comey’s firing. 
 
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 — Matt Apuzzo 
 
 McCabe is acting director 
 
 At 7:57 p.m., F.B.I. employees received an email from Attorney General Jeff Sessions officially announcing their new boss. “The president of the United States has exercised his lawful authority to remove James B. Comey Jr. as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the email read. 
 
 “By operation of law and effective immediately, deputy director Andrew McCabe assumed the position of acting director of the F.B.I. As you well know, the F.B.I. is an exceptional law enforcement and intelligence agency. It is made so by you, the devoted men and women who work tirelessly to keep our country safe. Thank you for your steadfast dedication and commitment during this time of transition.” 
 
 — Rebecca R. Ruiz 
 
 ‘Why now?’ 
 
 Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said Mr. Trump had called him earlier on Tuesday to inform him of the firing. 
 
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 “I simply said to him, ‘Mr. President, in all due respect, you’re making a very big mistake,’” Mr. Schumer recalled at a hastily arranged news conference Tuesday evening. “And he didn’t really answer.” 
 
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 Mr. Schumer said the first question the administration must answer was, “Why now?” 
 
 “This investigation must be run as far away as possible from this White House and as far away as possible from anyone President Trump has appointed,” he said of the inquiry into ties between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia. 
 
 He called for a special prosecutor to investigate those ties and said that firing Mr. Comey continued a “deeply troubling pattern” from the administration, citing the removals of Sally Q. Yates as acting attorney general and Preet Bharara as United States attorney in Manhattan. 
 
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 — Matt Flegenheimer 
 
 Building a case 
 
 Senior White House and Justice Department officials had been working on building a case against Mr. Comey since at least last week, according to administration officials. Mr. Sessions had been charged with coming up with reasons to fire him, the officials said. 
 
 — Michael S. Schmidt 
 
 Calls mount for a special counsel 
 
 Reaction to Mr. Comey’s surprising firing was swift, and Mr. Trump’s critics said it showed the need for an independent investigation. 
 
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 Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, said in a Twitter post that Mr. Comey “should be immediately called to testify in an opening hearing about the status of Russia/Trump investigation at the time he was fired.” 
 
 ‘This is Nixonian’ 
 
 Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat who is up for re-election next year in Pennsylvania, a state Mr. Trump won, said, “This is Nixonian.” 
 
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 He called for the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, to “immediately appoint a special counsel to continue the Trump/Russia investigation.” 
 
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 Mr. Casey drew a direct link between Mr. Comey’s dismissal and the F.B.I.’s investigation into Russian involvement in the election. 
 
 “On March 20, Director Comey said, ‘I have been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the F.B.I., as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts,’” Mr. Casey said. 
 
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 “This investigation must be independent and thorough in order to uphold our nation’s system of justice.” 
 
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 — Matt Flegenheimer 
 
 Or maybe not? 
 
 The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum used Twitter to issue a not-so-subtle rebuke to the idea that Mr. Comey’s firing was “Nixonian.” Despite Nixon’s firing of the Watergate special prosecutor in October 1973 and the resignations of the attorney general and deputy attorney general in the “Saturday Night Massacre,” he never fired the F.B.I. director, the library said: 
 
 Support from one top Senate Republican … 
 
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 Some of the reaction to the firing broke down along party lines. Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Mr. Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation was: 
 
 ... a clear example of how Comey’s decisions have called into question the trust and political independence of the F.B.I. In my efforts to get answers, the F.B.I., under Comey’s leadership, has been slow or failed to provide information that Comey himself pledged to provide. The effectiveness of the F.B.I. depends upon the public trust and confidence. Unfortunately, this has clearly been lost. 
 
 — Matt Flegenheimer 
 
 … but concern from others 
 
 Senator Richard M. Burr, a North Carolina Republican and chairman of the Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russia’s role in the election, was among the few Republicans to openly criticize Mr. Comey’s firing. His voice is important because his committee’s inquiry has been the party’s principal justification for resisting calls for a special prosecutor. 
 
 And Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona expressed concern about the timing. 
 
 Senator sees ‘grave constitutional issues’ 
 
 Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois raised concerns about the firing and how it would affect the investigation into Russian election meddling. 
 
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 “Any attempt to stop or undermine this F.B.I. investigation would raise grave constitutional issues,” he said. “We await clarification by the White House as soon as possible as to whether this investigation will continue and whether it will have a credible lead so that we know that it’ll have a just outcome.” 
 
 — Matt Flegenheimer 
 
 Rubio expects no effect on Senate inquiry 
 
 “I don’t think it will have an impact, certainly not on the Intelligence Committee’s work,” said Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a Republican on the committee. Asked whether Mr. Comey’s firing would fuel calls for a special prosecutor, Mr. Rubio demurred, saying, “That’s somebody else’s decision to make.” 
 
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 — Emmarie Huetteman 
 
 Trump didn’t ‘fire the entire F.B.I.’ 
 
 In an interview on Fox News, Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine and a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, noted that Mr. Trump did not “fire the entire F.B.I.” 
 
 “He fired the director of the F.B.I.,” she said. “And any suggestion that this is somehow going to stop the F.B.I.’s investigation of the attempts by the Russians to influence the elections last fall is really patently absurd.” 
 
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 — Thomas Kaplan 
 
 Trump points to Russia investigations 
 
 In a letter to Mr. Comey dated Tuesday, Mr. Trump said: 
 
 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. It is essential that we find new leadership for the F.B.I. that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission. 
 
 Trump aides take to TV 
 
 Facing a maelstrom of criticism, the White House took its case to President Trump’s favorite arena: prime-time television. 
 
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 Kellyanne Conway, whose recent absence from the airwaves was mocked on last weekend’s “Saturday Night Live,” jousted with Anderson Cooper of CNN in an extended and sometimes awkward interview, at one point saying repeatedly, “It’s not a cover-up.” 
 
 On Fox News, the deputy White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was asked by Tucker Carlson why the White House had not waited to announce Mr. Comey’s firing until Mr. Comey himself had been notified. “Why sit on it?” Ms. Sanders replied. 
 
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 Cable news coverage was dominated by helicopter footage of Mr. Comey’s motorcade on a freeway in Los Angeles, where he was headed to the airport. The footage — standard in Los Angeles-area local news — offered a strange echo of the memorable low-speed chase involving O. J. Simpson in 1994. 
 
 — Michael M. Grynbaum 
 
 Surprise in the briefing room 
 
 Reporters at the White House were taken by surprise when Mr. Spicer, the press secretary, poked his head into the briefing room and, after a bit of prodding, read a one-sentence statement about the firing. 
 
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 The news quickly spread to other reporters in the building, who had begun preparing for the end of the day. A few minutes earlier, the White House press office had declared “a lid,” indicating that the president would not be traveling or appearing for the rest of the day. 
 
 Within minutes, dozens of reporters had descended on the small office where the press assistants for the White House sit. The assistants indicated that Mr. Spicer might come out to talk to reporters later in the evening. 
 
 — Michael D. Shear 
 
 Trump and Sessions once backed Comey 
 
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 In the final days of the presidential campaign, while Democrats were criticizing Mr. Comey for publicly reopening the Clinton investigation, Mr. Trump had his back. He said that what Mr. Comey had done “took guts.” Those actions are now at the heart of Mr. Comey’s firing. 
 
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 In an Oct. 28 interview with Lou Dobbs, Mr. Sessions, then a senator from Alabama, said he supported Mr. Comey’s decision to send a letter to Congress just days before the election about newly discovered emails related to the Clinton investigation. 
 
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 Mr. Sessions said Mr. Comey “had an absolute duty, in my opinion, 11 days or not, to come forward with the new information that he has and let the American people know that, too. So she is under criminal investigation.” 
 
 — Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman 
 
 More coverage from The Times 
 
 ■ The firing raised the specter of political interference by a sitting president in an existing investigation by the nation’s leading law enforcement agency, and it immediately ignited Democratic calls for an independent prosecutor to lead the Russia inquiry. 
 
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 ■ Mr. Trump’s decision drew instant comparisons to President Richard M. Nixon’s firing of the special prosecutor looking into the Watergate burglary that would eventually bring him down. 
 
 ■ Mr. Comey’s ouster was the culmination of a slowly unfolding and toxic dynamic between him and the president. 
 
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 ■ A memo recommending the dismissal, written by Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, focused on the continuing fallout from Mr. Comey’s handling of an F.B.I. inquiry into Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state. 
 
 ■ Investigations into the Clinton campaign’s emails and possible Trump campaign ties to Russia dominated much of Mr. Comey’s time at the F.B.I. 
 
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 ■ In the F.B.I.’s 109-year history, only one director had been fired — until Tuesday. In July 1993, President Bill Clinton fired William S. Sessions, who had been nominated to the post by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. 
 
 ■ Shortly before Mr. Comey was fired, the F.B.I. sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee clarifying testimony he had delivered last week about how classified information ended up on the laptop of the disgraced former congressman Anthony D. Weiner. 
 
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 ■ Finally, read our investigation, published in April, of Mr. Comey’s involvement in the two investigations tied to last year’s election. ||||| We've detected that JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Would you like to proceed to legacy Twitter? 
 
 Yes ||||| FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2015 file photo, FBI Director James Comey prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump abruptly fired Comey May 9, 2017, dramatically ousting the nation's... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2015 file photo, FBI Director James Comey prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump abruptly fired Comey May 9, 2017, dramatically ousting the nation's top law enforcement official in the midst of an FBI investigation into whether Trump's campaign... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2015 file photo, FBI Director James Comey prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump abruptly fired Comey May 9, 2017, dramatically ousting the nation's top law enforcement official in the midst of an FBI investigation into whether Trump's campaign... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2015 file photo, FBI Director James Comey prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump abruptly fired Comey May 9, 2017, dramatically ousting the nation's... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired James Comey as director of the FBI in the midst of the law enforcement agency's investigation into whether Trump's presidential campaign was connected to Russian meddling in the election. In a letter to Comey, Trump said the dismissal was necessary to restore the public's trust and confidence. 
 
 Often lauded for his independence, Comey had come under intense scrutiny in recent months for his role in the agency's investigation into the email practices of Trump's opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, including a pair of letters he sent to Congress on the matter in the final days of last November's election. 
 
 A look at key moments in Comey's tenure and the lead-up to Trump's decision to fire him. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Sept. 4, 2013: Comey is sworn in to office as the seventh director of the FBI. He was nominated for the post by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. 
 
 July 5, 2016: Holds news conference to announce that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring criminal charges against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, over her email practices as secretary of state, but criticizes Clinton and her staff for being "extremely careless" in their handling of classified material. 
 
 July 5, 2016: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump calls the FBI's decision not to bring criminal charges against Clinton the greatest example yet that the system is "rigged." 
 
 July 7, 2016: Comey vigorously defends the decision not to prosecute Clinton over her use of a private email server as secretary of state. Under an onslaught of Republican criticism, Comey says that to charge Clinton would have been unwarranted and mere "celebrity hunting." 
 
 Oct. 28, 2016: Days before the election, Comey informs Congress by letter that he was reopening the investigation into Clinton's email practices based on new evidence, citing the discovery of emails on a laptop used by a top Clinton aide. Justice Department officials warned Comey against sending the letter, saying that doing so would be inconsistent with department policy meant to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial interference or meddling in elections. 
 
 Oct. 28, 2016: Trump reacts to FBI's decision to investigate new messages related to Clinton's emails, telling a campaign rally that he has "great respect for the FBI for righting this wrong." 
 
 Nov. 6, 2016: Comey tells Congress in a follow-up letter that a review of newly discovered Clinton emails has "not changed our conclusions" that she should not face criminal charges. 
 
 Nov. 6: Trump criticizes Comey's second letter to Congress, saying Clinton was being protected by a "rigged system" and pronouncing her "guilty," despite the FBI's conclusion that criminal charges were unwarranted. 
 
 Nov. 8, 2016: Trump is elected president. 
 
 Nov. 12, 2016: During a telephone call with top campaign donors, Clinton blames Comey for her defeat by Trump. Clinton said her campaign was on track to win the election until Comey sent the letter to Congress on Oct. 28. 
 
 Nov. 13, 2016: In a CBS "60 Minutes" broadcast after the election, Trump said he hadn't decided whether to keep Comey. 
 
 Jan. 6, 2017: Comey is among a group of four top U.S. intelligence officials who briefed then-President-elect Donald Trump on their conclusions that Russia meddled in the presidential election on his behalf. Trump told The Associated Press by telephone after the meeting that he "learned a lot" but declined to say whether he accepted their conclusion about Russia. 
 
 Jan. 22, 2017: Two days after taking office, Trump appears to single out Comey at a White House reception to thank law enforcement officers and others that helped during the inauguration. Trump called Comey over to where he was standing in the Blue Room to offer a handshake and a partial hug, then commented that Comey has "become more famous than me." 
 
 March 8, 2017: During a cybersecurity conference at Boston College, Comey said he planned to serve his entire 10-year term, quipping, "You're stuck with me for another 6½ years." 
 
 March 20, 2017: Comey testifies to Congress that the FBI has been investigating possible links between Trump associates and Russian officials since July, the same month he held an unusual news conference to discuss the investigation into Clinton. Comey had previously refused to acknowledge the parallel Trump investigation, and his disclosure enrages Democrats who already blamed Comey for costing Clinton the presidency. 
 
 March 20, 2017: Comey testifies at the same hearing that the FBI and Justice Department have no information to substantiate Trump's unsubstantiated claim on Twitter that former President Barack Obama wiretapped him before the election. 
 
 May 2, 2017: Clinton again lays part of the blame for losing the election on Comey's Oct. 28 letter. "If the election were on Oct. 27, I would have been your president," she tells a women's luncheon in New York. 
 
 May 3, 2017: Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey insists that he was consistent in his handling of the separate investigations into Clinton and Trump. Comey also said it made him feel "mildly nauseous" to think his actions in October might have influenced the election outcome. But he told senators: "I can't consider for a second whose political futures will be affected and in what way. We have to ask ourselves what is the right thing to do and then do it." 
 
 May 9, 2017: Comey sends Congress a letter correcting his prior sworn testimony regarding emails handled by longtime Clinton associate Huma Abedin. Comey had told Congress that Abedin had sent "hundreds and thousands" of emails to her husband's laptop, including some with classified information. The two-page, follow-up letter said that, in fact, only "a small number" of the thousands of emails found on the laptop had been forwarded there while most had simply been backed up from electronic devices. 
 
 May 9, 2017: Trump abruptly fires Comey. "It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission," Trump states in a letter addressed to Comey. 
 
 ___ 
 
 This story corrects Clinton's comment at New York luncheon to May 2, not May 3. With BC-US--Trump-Comey. ||||| Story highlights President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday 
 
 The announcement of Comey's firing caused shock and surprise across Washington 
 
 Washington (CNN) Many people on Tuesday began likening President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director Jim Comey to President Richard Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre," during which the former president ordered the firing of Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox. 
 
 But the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum -- located in Yorba Linda, California -- doesn't agree with that comparison. 
 
 The library's social media account weighed in on the chatter. 
 
 FUN FACT: President Nixon never fired the Director of the FBI #FBIDirector #notNixonian pic.twitter.com/PatArKOZlk — RichardNixonLibrary (@NixonLibrary) May 9, 2017 
 
 "FUN FACT: President Nixon never fired the Director of the FBI #FBIDirector #notNixonian," the Richard Nixon Library account said in a tweet. 
 
 Still, the comparisons continue. 
 
 Read More ||||| Image caption Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein penned the memo recommending Comey's dismissal 
 
 President Donald Trump followed the recommendation of his deputy attorney general when he fired FBI boss James Comey. What did Rod Rosenstein say? This is his letter in full. 
 
 Memorandum for the Attorney General 
 
 FROM: Rod J Rosenstein 
 
 SUBJECT: Restoring public confidence in the FBI 
 
 The Federal Bureau of Investigation has long been regarded as our nation's premier federal investigative agency. Over the past year, however, the FBI's reputation and credibility have suffered substantial damage, and it has affected the entire Department of Justice. That is deeply troubling to many Department employees and veterans, legislators and citizens. 
 
 The current FBI Director is an articulate and persuasive speaker about leadership and the immutable principles of the Department of Justice. He deserves our appreciation for his public service. As you and I have discussed, however, I cannot defend the Director's handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton's emails, and I do not understand his refusal to accept the nearly universal judgment that he was mistaken. Almost everyone agrees that the Director made serious mistakes; it is one of the few issues that unites people of diverse perspectives. 
 
 The director was wrong to usurp the Attorney General's authority on July 5, 2016, and announce his conclusion that the case should be closed without prosecution. It is not the function of the Director to make such an announcement. At most, the Director should have said the FBI had completed its investigation and presented its findings to federal prosecutors. The Director now defends his decision by asserting that he believed attorney General Loretta Lynch had a conflict. But the FBI Director is never empowered to supplant federal prosecutors and assume command of the Justice Department. There is a well-established process for other officials to step in when a conflict requires the recusal of the Attorney General. On July 5, however, the Director announced his own conclusions about the nation's most sensitive criminal investigation, without the authorization of duly appointed Justice Department leaders. 
 
 Compounding the error, the Director ignored another longstanding principle: we do not hold press conferences to release derogatory information about the subject of a declined criminal investigation. Derogatory information sometimes is disclosed in the course of criminal investigations and prosecutions, but we never release it gratuitously. The Director laid out his version of the facts for the news media as if it were a closing argument, but without a trial. It is a textbook example of what federal prosecutors and agents are taught not to do. 
 
 In response to skeptical question at a congressional hearing, the Director defended his remarks by saying that his "goal was to say what is true. What did we do, what did we find, what do we think about it." But the goal of a federal criminal investigation is not to announce our thoughts at a press conference. The goal is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to justify a federal criminal prosecution, then allow a federal prosecutor who exercises authority delegated by the Attorney General to make a prosecutorial decision, and then - if prosecution is warranted - let the judge and jury determine the facts. We sometimes release information about closed investigations in appropriate ways, but the FBI does not do it sua sponte. 
 
 Concerning his letter to the Congress on October 28, 2016, the Director cast his decision as a choice between whether he would "speak" about the FBI's decision to investigate the newly-discovered email messages or "conceal" it. "Conceal" is a loaded term that misstates the issue. When federal agents and prosecutors quietly open a criminal investigation, we are not concealing anything; we are simply following the longstanding policy that we refrain from publicizing non-public information. In that context, silence is not concealment. 
 
 My perspective on these issues is shared by former Attorneys General and Deputy Attorneys General from different eras and both political parties. Judge Laurence Silberman, who served as Deputy Attorneys General under President Ford, wrote that "it is not the bureau's responsibility to opine on whether a matter should be prosecuted." Silberman believes that the Director's "Performance was so inappropriate for an FBI director that [he] doubt[s] the bureau will ever completely recover." Jamie Gorelick, Deputy Attorney General under President George W. Bush, to opine that the Director had "chosen personally to restrike the balance between transparency and fairness, department from the department's traditions." They concluded that the Director violated his obligation to "preserve, protect and defend" the traditions of the Department and the FBI. 
 
 Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who served under President George W Bush, observed the Director "stepped way outside his job in disclosing the recommendation in that fashion" because the FBI director "doesn't make that decision". Alberto Gonzales, who also served as Attorneys General under President George W Bush, called the decision "an error in judgement." Eric Holder, who served as Deputy Attorneys General under President Clinton and Attorneys General under President Obama, said that the Director's decision "was incorrect. It violated long-standing Justice Department policies and traditions. And it ran counter to guidance that I put in place four years ago laying out the proper way to conduct investigations during an election season." Holder concluded that the Director "broke with these fundamental principles" and "negatively affected public trust in both the Justice Department and the FBI". 
 
 Former Deputy Attorneys General Gorelick and Thompson described the unusual event as "real-time, raw-take transparency taken to its illogical limit, a kind of reality TV of federal criminal investigation," that is "antithetical to the interests of justice". 
 
 Donald Ayer, who served as Deputy Attorneys General under President HW Bush, along with former Justice Department officials, was "astonished and perplexed" by the decision to "break[] with longstanding practices followed by officials of both parties during past elections." Ayer's letter noted, "Perhaps most troubling… is the precedent set by this departure from the Department's widely-respected, non-partisan traditions." 
 
 We should reject the departure and return to the traditions. 
 
 Although the President has the power to remove an FBI director, the decision should not be taken lightly. I agree with the nearly unanimous opinions of former Department officials. The way the Director handled the conclusion of the email investigation was wrong. As a result, the FBI is unlikely to regain public and congressional trust until it has a Director who understands the gravity of the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them. Having refused to admit his errors, the Director cannot be expected to implement the necessary corrective actions. 
 
 More on this story 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Trump's love-hate relationship with Comey over a tumultuous year 
 
 Did Trump fire Comey as part of a cover-up? 
 
 James Comey: From 'brave' to fired
– President Trump's firing of James Comey was so unexpected that the FBI director initially thought it was a joke, sources tell the New York Times. Comey was addressing FBI employees in Los Angeles when news of his firing flashed on a TV screen, insiders say. He said he thought it was a pretty funny prank—but aides then ushered him into another room. Comey, who flew to Washington, DC, Tuesday night instead of attending an FBI recruiting event in Hollywood as scheduled, "was caught flat-footed," a source tells the Los Angeles Times. In other developments: The abrupt firing puts the future of the FBI's investigation of the Trump campaign's alleged links to Russia in doubt, with Democrats calling for a special prosecutor to continue the probe, the Wall Street Journal reports. Most Republicans didn't go that far, though Sen. John McCain called for the creation of a special congressional committee. The BBC looks at the letter from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recommending Comey's firing. Rosenstein cites Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, especially his "usurpation" of authority in announcing that the probe would be closed without charges. ABC has Trump's letter firing Comey in full. "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," the president writes. Politico spoke to a wide variety of experts about the constitutionality of the move, and received a wide range of answers, with some declaring a constitutional crisis and others saying Trump made a completely correct call. Comey's "mishandling of the Clinton investigation and his usurpation of prosecutorial decisions" would have been enough to get him fired under any administration, according to University of Virginia law professor Saikrishna Prakash. Aaron Blake looks at comments Trump has made about Comey and the Clinton investigation in recent weeks and concludes that the president was looking for an excuse to fire the FBI director. By misstating facts about the Clinton investigation at a Senate hearing, Comey gave Trump the excuse he needed, Blake writes at the Washington Post. The AP looks at key moments leading up to Comey's firing, including his letter to Congress Tuesday correcting earlier testimony. Axios answers seven questions about the firing, including what happens next: Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe will take charge until the Senate confirms a replacement. Democratic Sen. Bob Casey was among those calling the firing "Nixonian," though the Richard Nixon Library begged to differ, reports CNN. Nixon "never fired the director of the FBI," the library tweeted.