Dem Sen Markey: Comey Firing ‘Obstruction of Justice’ ‘That Ultimately Could Turn Into Russiagate’

During CNN’s coverage of FBI Director James Comey’s firing on Tuesday, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) stated of FBI Director James Comey’s firing, “we know that this is in many ways a cover-up. It’s an obstruction of justice, and it is something that ultimately could turn into Russiagate, because that was the subject of the investigation that Jim Comey was in fact, probing this White House and the campaign that Donald Trump ran to win the job.”

Markey said, “[T]here are very few moments when our democracy has been more fragile than it is at this moment. What the president did is an insult to our Constitution, and we have to ensure now that the Congress exercises the role of checks and balance to ensure that a president cannot fire the person conducting an investigation of that president. And that is after President Trump himself called the investigation a ‘taxpayer-funded charade‘ and a ‘hoax.’ So, we know that this is in many ways a cover-up. It’s an obstruction of justice, and it is something that ultimately could turn into Russiagate, because that was the subject of the investigation that Jim Comey was in fact, probing this White House and the campaign that Donald Trump ran to win the job.”

Anchor Jake Tapper then asked Markey if he knew the firing was a cover-up for a fact. Markey responded, “Well, if the reasons outlined by the Department of Justice are really true, then why fire James Comey now and not months ago, and why not wait until the inspector general’s report has been completed? I believe that this goes right to the heart of this compromise of our election by the Russians, and the subpoenas which were being issued by James Comey and the FBI of General Flynn, of General Flynn’s associates, of others who were being probed with — because of their connections to the Russians during the campaign and after the campaign and otherwise. This actually makes no sense. This is something, I think, that has happened because this investigation was getting too close to the Oval Office.”

Tapper then said that this was Markey’s suspicion, not something he has evidence of. Markey then stated, “Well, I think that’s the question that we should be asking in the wake of this episode, because, otherwise, it really does not make any sense.”

He concluded, “James Comey is now a modern-day Archibald Cox, who has been fired as the chief investigator of a sitting president of the United States.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett