There has been plenty of movement during another busy day in Washington, so here is a round-up of the main points. We will put this blog on hold pending any fresh developments.
Sacked FBI director James Comey has urged the organisation to continue to protect the American people and uphold the constitution in a farewell letter obtained by CNN. He says he has “long believed that a president can fire an FBI director for any reason, or for no reason at all”.
The fallout from sacking by Donald Trump has gathered pace, with reports Comey asked for more resources to investigate alleged ties between Trump’s election campaign and Russia just days before he was fired.
The reasoning behind the dismissal remains the subject of much scrutiny. The White House has said Trump’s frustration with Comey had been building for months. Media reports have pointed to a range of motivations, including personal antagonism, the progress of the FBI’s inquiry into alleged Russian electoral interference and a refusal to provide Trump aides with an advance copy of his planned testimony to a Senate panel last week.
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn has been issued with a subpoena by the Senate intelligence committee for documents relevant to its Russia inquiry. Flynn last month declined to provide his records.
Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House oversight and government reform committee, has asked the justice department to expand its review of the FBI’s actions during the election campaign to include the “facts and circumstances surrounding” the firing of Comey.
The sacking has attracted scant vocal support among Republicans, while Democrats have drawn comparisons with Watergate.
Former FBI agents have reacted with shock and no small amount of trepidation about the bureau’s independence.
Trump has continued to attack Democrats for their apparent change of heart on Comey and tied it to his “drain the swamp” slogan. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/may/10/donald-trump-fires-fbi-director-james-comey-reaction-live