Donald Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey Over Handling Of Clinton Investigation

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday fired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, abruptly ending a rocky year-long stretch for the top law enforcement officer of the country. He came under fire for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe – and whose agency has been investigating whether Trump's campaign had ties to Russia.

Trump informed Comey that he was "hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately," explaining that he reached the conclusion that Comey was "not able to effectively lead the bureau," CNN reports.

"It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission," Trump added.

The White House said that Comey was fired based on clear recommendations of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

In a separate letter, Rosenstein said that it was Comey’s transgression over the Clinton email investigation was the cause of his dismissal.

Comey played a controversial role in the 2016 presidential election, announcing just days before the vote that Clinton was under renewed investigation for her use of a private email server – a move that the Democrats said contributed to Clinton’s defeat. Back then, Trump had praised Comey's ‘guts’ for renewing the investigation.

Comey was also accused of attempting to “usurp the attorney general's authority" by publicly announcing why he felt the case should be closed without prosecution.

Meanwhile, Trump met with acting FBI director Andrew McCabe on Tuesday, hours after firing Comey from the post, according to NBC’s Mark Halperin. McCabe previously served as the FBI’s deputy director. Reports suggest Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe donated almost $500,000 to his wife’s 2015 State Senate campaign.

Trump's decision to fire Comey has evoked strong criticism come from Democratic Senators. "This is Nixonian,” Bob Casey, the Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania said in a statement. Patrick Leahy, the Democratic Senator from Vermont, also voiced a similar opinion on the firing "in the midst of one of the most critical national security investigations in the history of our country – one that implicates senior officials in the Trump campaign and administration."

With Inputs From ANI.