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In reply to the discussion: FBI Director Begins Briefing Congressional Leaders on Email Review [View all]calimary
(80,693 posts)FBI director is appointed by the President, so I believe that means the appointee serves at the pleasure of the chief executive.
But in thinking about this I did get curious, honorable Chairman. My husband and I disagreed about whether Obama (or a President) could fire Comey. So I looked it up. Turns out I was correct. They get to it in Point 1.
Can FBI Director James Comey Be Fired? 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
http://heavy.com/news/2016/10/james-comey-fired-fbi-director-hillary-clinton-email-private-server-influence-election/
Point 2 is an interesting little factoid that I did not remember - the only FBI director to be fired by his President?
"But only one of those directors was ever fired by a president William S. Sessions who had been appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, but who was beset by allegations of ethics violations, such as disguising private vacations as law enforcement business, and using a chauffeured government limousine for personal transportation."
Point 3 is MOST intriguing and might lead to some more sleepless nights for James Comey...
Theres a longstanding policy of not doing anything that could influence an election, George J. Terwilliger III, who was deputy attorney general in the George Bush administration told The New York Times on Saturday. Those guidelines exist for a reason. Sometimes, that makes for hard decisions. But bypassing them has consequences.
Theres a difference between being independent and flying solo, the former Bush administration official added.
Comey also directly defied the wishes of Attorney General Loretta Lynch and her deputy, Sally Yates, who wanted the FBI director to stick to long-established tradition and keep his comments about matters that could have a bearing on the presidential election to himself, CNN reported.
The story goes on, according to CNN, that "Comey made an independent decision to alert the Hill." An unnamed current Justice Department official is quoted in the story as saying Comey is operating independently of the Justice Department. And he knows it.