Why did Trump oust FBI chief -- and what happens next?

Yahoo – AFP, Ivan Couronne, May 10, 2017

Donald Trump says his decision to fire the FBI director was motivated strictly
by James Comey's mishandling of a high-stakes probe into the emails of his
presidential rival, Hillary Clinton (AFP Photo/JIM WATSON)

Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump sent a shockwave through Washington by firing James Comey, the FBI's powerful director since 2013 who played an outsized role in American politics during and after the US election.

Democrats suspect the Republican leader of seeking to hamper an FBI investigation into the possibility Trump's campaign colluded with what US intelligence says was a Russian effort to sway the 2016 vote.

The president says his decision was motivated strictly by Comey's mishandling of a high-stakes probe into the emails of his presidential rival, Hillary Clinton.

Here are answers to some of the questions raised by Comey's ouster:

Why was Comey fired?

Officials said Trump based his decision to fire Comey on a three-page memo from new Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, a respected former federal prosecutor who was confirmed in his post on April 25.

Rosenstein's letter lists a string of failings in Comey's handling of the final stages of a drawn-out probe into Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state -- which the Democrat says cost her the presidency.

Based on his deputy's assessment, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the recommendation that Comey be removed from his post, upon which Trump acted immediately.

A protester holds a placard in front of the White House during a protest 

demanding an independent investigation into the Trump administration/Russia 

ties (AFP Photo/JIM WATSON)

Rosenstein faulted Comey for publicly announcing, in a bombshell news conference on July 5 last year, that the FBI was closing its probe into the matter without recommending charges -- while describing Clinton's conduct as "extremely careless."

"It is not the function of the director to make such announcements," Rosenstein wrote, noting that public statements on whether to press charges normally fall to federal prosecutors and the Justice Department -- acting on advice from the FBI.

"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."

Finally, Rosenstein criticized Comey for announcing -- on October 28, 11 days before the presidential election -- that the FBI was reopening its investigation following the discovery of a cache of new emails on the laptop of a Clinton aide's husband.

Comey's revelation triggered a political earthquake -- which Democrats believe tipped the scales against their candidate -- even though the newly-discovered emails turned out to contain nothing of significance.

The FBI director had argued he had a duty to keep Congress informed of the state of play -- and all the more so with an election looming -- despite the Federal Bureau of Investigation's tradition of silence on such matters.

Why fire him now?

Trump's stated reason for firing Comey was greeted with overwhelming skepticism from Democrats as well as some Republicans, and many US political observers.

Back in October, Trump was outspoken in praising Comey's handling of the email probe, and he kept the FBI director in his post upon taking office -- in what critics saw as a tacit reward for his role in damaging Clinton's chances.

The Republican had seized upon Comey's damning assessment of Clinton's "careless" practices as a major line of attack during the campaign.

But on March 20, Comey informed Congress that the FBI was investigating possible coordination between members of the Trump campaign team and Russia -- a scenario the president dismissed as "fake news."

Comey also flatly rejected Trump's explosive claim that he was wiretapped by his predecessor Barack Obama.

According to Politico, the president -- increasingly exasperated by the attention given to allegations of Russian election meddling -- had been looking to fire Comey for more than a week.

The political website reported that the letters from Rosenstein and Sessions were written to provide a rationale for doing so.

The White House says Rosenstein wrote his letter of his own accord, and that it triggered Trump's decision.

What about the Russia probe?

The FBI's investigation into Russian election meddling -- and possible links with Trump's campaign team -- continues despite Comey's dismissal.

Where it leads -- and whether it gives rise to any criminal charges -- will be determined in large part by who succeeds Comey as director of the FBI.

The Democratic opposition is united behind a key demand: for the Justice Department to appoint a so-called special counsel to oversee the investigation.

Such a figure would enjoy more autonomy than an ordinary federal prosecutor, who answers directly to the Justice Department -- although it would still be possible for the administration to remove him under certain conditions.

In Congress, the intelligence committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives have been pursuing their own high-profile probes into suspected Russian interference for several months. The Senate judiciary committee is also actively probing the allegations.

But several lawmakers -- from both camps -- are calling for the creation of a powerful independent commission of inquiry, with a full-time staff named jointly by Republican and Democrat leaders in Congress.

The Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, on Wednesday rejected calls for either a special counsel or a commission of inquiry, which he said would only impede the work of existing probes.

Democrats slam Trump sacking of FBI chief James Comey pic.twitter.com/M7fSZXRa09

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 10, 2017

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"Wild Cards" (3) - Nov 19 - 20, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

".... The Wild Card of 2016

Remember: No emotion now. You have come from another planet and you’re looking at the end of 2016 – and there is the election. Understand without bias.

So for 2016, let’s do the numerology. You add the numbers and get nine. Nine is completion in simple numerology, and when you see a nine it often means the completion of something. Often it is of a time cycle, an energy or the completion of a paradigm. But it’s very strong.

The nines are stronger than many of the other numerological aspects and you feel them. The president-elect (at this writing) is a strong wild card. He is scheduled to become the 45th president. What a coincidence! Forty-five is a nine. A nine and a nine together are more than significant. They tell a story about what is happening. I will tell you something else. This story is not finished yet and there is more coming. You don’t know what you don’t know, so don’t make up your mind in advance about any outcomes. You’re from another planet, remember? There’s no emotion, no bias, no politics and nothing to judge. Look at it for what it is.

A big stick has just been inserted into what is normal and it’s going to be turned. As the big stick turns, other things will respond that never would have responded otherwise. I wish to tell you, dear one, old soul, relax with upcoming wild cards. They do what they do on purpose so that you will have a better civilization in the future. Sometimes they show you what won’t work, and sometimes they change paradigms that would have never changed otherwise. But what you have now is a profound wild card. That is the message.

It’s so common for you to respond certain ways when you are invested in the process. The knee-jerk reaction is expected or you wouldn’t be a Human. However, for this lesson, you’re from another planet and you’re looking down and you’re seeing it. Pretend.

Isn’t that interesting about a nine and a nine together? It means that truly the end of something is here. Perhaps it’s the end of the old way things were done? Perhaps it’s a shake-up of the system so it can correct itself? Don’t dare make up your mind where it’s going, because it’s not finished yet. However, wait a moment. Did you also realize that 2017 is a “one” year? Not only is the energy one of completion with a double nine, but it moves into “a new beginning” (the definition of a one in numerology).

I have more to tell you about numerology, and also something that will be clearer about this whole situation. I will give this to you in the next channelling.

Can you relax in the face of uncertainty when it’s your own country? Can you relax in the face of not knowing what’s next? When you’re so involved, can you disengage from either side of the fray? That is the test of a Lightworker.

There’s something else coming. Dear ones, this is beautiful. No matter what you think and no matter what your reaction is to this channelling, what is happening is correct for your time and needed for your immediate future. I will speak of this later. The beauty is when you step away and see how grand it is, that Spirit cares enough that it would allow a big stick to occur that would stir your complacency at this time. The real reason? The shift is here.

How do you feel? I want you to relax and smile at what the shift has brought you. For those of you who felt all the “shift talk” was nonsense, this may be your wake-up call. It’s real. Here it comes.

This is the message of the day. I am Kryon, in love with humanity, and for good reason.

And so it is.

KRYON