Blumenthal on Comey Firing: ‘We Face a Looming Constitutional Crisis’

Tuesday on CNN’s “Situation Room,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reacted to President Donald Trump firing FBI Director James Comey declared were facing “a looming constitutional crisis.”

Blumenthal said, “The president of the United States just fired the chief investigator who has him as the target of the investigation. If there was ever any doubt about the need for a special independent prosecutor, which I’ve been advocating for months, there is no question now. Let’s remember that we face a looming constitutional crisis, very much like happened in 1973, the midnight massacre. This episode has very much the feel of that chapter in our history, one that we should not repeat. And that is why I will actually be introducing legislation that calls for congressional involvement of a special prosecutor because only a special prosecutor can hold accountable anyone who colluded with the Russians in that attack and interference in our election system and the president himself has to be deemed a potential target. If not right at this moment, a potential target in the future, because his association in that campaign are targets right now.”

He continued, “It certainly is Nixonian in its air and quality and tone to fire someone of this stature.”

He added, “It is an abuse of power if the FBI was, in fact, investigating the president of the United States for the president to fire someone who has him under active investigation without better cause is in my view an abuse of power.”

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