LIFETIME AS A BEAR
BIG HEADLINE JUST CROSSING THE
NEWS WIRE.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS
FIRED THE FBI DIRECTOR JAMES
COMEY.
COMEY A VERY CONTROVERSIAL
FIGURE.
HE'S TESTIFIED RECENTLY ON
CAPITOL HILL REGARDING
INVESTIGATIONS INTO POSSIBLE
TIES BETWEEN TRUMP AND RUSSIA.
THERE'S A CBS NEWS SPECIAL
REPORT THAT'S ABOUT TO START
RIGHT NOW.
LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.
THIS IS A CBS SPECIAL NEWS
REPORT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS JUST FIRED
THE DIRECTOR OF THE FBI JAMES
COMEY.
THIS IS AN UNUSUAL MOVE THAT
HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE THE
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.
COMEY IS OVERLOOKING INTO
WHETHER RUSSIA INFLUENCED THE
ELECTION AND WHETHER TRUMP
OFFICIALS WORKED WITH RUSSIA TO
INFLUENCE THE ELECTION.
THREE YEARS OF THE TERM HAVE
GONE BY SO HE WOULD HAVE HAD
ANOTHER SEVEN YEARS TO GO.
MAJOR GARRETT IS AT THE WHITE
HOUSE, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US.
THE FIRST INKLING THAT WE
GOT THAT COMEY'S POSITION AS
DIRECTOR WAS IN JEOPARDY WAS AT
TODAY'S MEDIA BRIEFING.
WHEN SEAN SPICER ASKED IF THE
PRESIDENT HAD FULL CONFIDENCE
ON THE FBI DIRECTOR.
AND SPICER SAID THAT COMEY HAD
THE PRESIDENT'S CONFIDENT BUT
SPICER DID NOT SPECIFICALLY USE
THAT WORD IN RELATIONSHIP TO
COMEY STATURE IN THE FBI AS OF
TODAY.
AND IT IS THAT INVESTIGATION
THAT IS YET TO REACH ANY
CONCLUSIONS ON WHETHER THAT
COLLUSION DID OR DID NOT EXIST.
MANY TIMES THERE'S NO EVIDENCE
OF THAT, THAT INVESTIGATION IS
ONGOING AND CONTINUES TO BE
SOLT WHAT -- TO BE SOME WHAT
OF AN IRRITANT.
THE FBI HAS BEEN KEEPING THAT
INVESTIGATION OPEN AND THEREFOR
THAT QUESTION UNRESOLVED.
MAJOR GARRETT AT THE WHITE
HOUSE THANK YOU.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS FIRED FBI
DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY.
IT'S A VERY UNUSUAL SITUATION.
THE FBI DIRECTOR IS APPOINTED
TO A 10 YEAR TERM IN ORDER TO
INSULATE HIM FROM POLITICS.
COMEY HAD ONLY SERVED ABOUT
THREE OF THE 10 YEARS.
HE WAS APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT
OBAMA.
THE PRESIDENT DOES HAVE THE
POWER TO FIRE THE FBI DIRECTOR
BUT ONLY FOR CAUSE.
AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT REASON
THE PRESIDENT WILL SITE IN
FIRING JAMES COMEY.
WE WILL HAVE, WE HAVE NANCY
CORDES FOR US.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US.
Reporter: HE SAID QUOTE I
KNOW THIS WAS A DIFFICULT
DECISION FOR ALL CONCERNS.
I APPRECIATE DIRECTOR COMEY'S
SERVICE FOR OUR NATION.
BUT GIVEN THE RECENT
CONTROVERSIES I BELIEVE A NEW
DIRECTOR WOULD SERVE THE FBI
AND THE NATION WELL.
YOU MAY IMAGINE ALL THAT HAS
HAPPENED IN THE WEEK AND A HALF
WHEN COMEY MADE THAT STUNNING
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE WAS
REOPENING THE CLINTON
INVESTIGATION ONLY TO STATE A
FEW DATES LATER THAT THE INVEST
WAS AGAIN CLOSED.
THAT DEMOCRATS WILL WELCOME
THIS NEWS.
BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE QUITE
APREHENSICE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE
THEY'RE CONCERNED IF THE
PRESIDENT IS ALLOWED TO NAME
HIS OWN APPOINTEE TO THIS VERY,
VERY SENSITIVE ROLE, THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
OTHERS FEEL HIS REPLACEMENT
MIGHT BE IN IN THEIR EYES EVEN
WORSE.
JAMES COMEY IS A HIGHLY
RESPECTED FORMER JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ABOUT WHOM
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A HINT OF
SCANDAL AND AGAIN WE HAVE NOT
YET HEARD WHAT REASON THE
PRESIDENT IS SITING FOR FIRING
THE FBI DIRECTOR.
WE HAVE MAJOR GARRETT WITH THE
STATEMENT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
Reporter: TWO STATEMENTS ONE
FROM THE PRESS SECRETARY SEAN
SPICER AND ONE FROM THE
PRESIDENT HIMSELF IN A LETTER
TO NOW FORMER FBI DIRECTOR
JAMES COMEY.
THE SECRETARY STATES THAT THE
RECOMMENDATION TO TERMINATE
JAMES COMEY WAS GIVEN TO THE
PRESIDENT.
THE LETTER DATED TODAY IN IT
THE PRESIDENT SAYS WHILE I
GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU
INFORMING ME, THIS IS TO JAMES
COMEY ON THREE SEPARATE
OCCASIONS THAT I'M NOT UNDER
INVESTIGATION I NEVERTHELESS
CONQUER WITH THE JUDGE THAT YOU
ARE NOT ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY
LEAD THE BUREAU.
IT IS ESSENTIAL PRESIDENT TRUMP
WRITES IN THIS LETTER THAT WE
FIND NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE FBI
THAT RESTORES PUBLIC TRUST AND
CONFIDENCE IN ITS VITAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT MISSION.
THE LETTER SAYS THAT COMEY HAS
BEEN TERMINATED EFFECTIVE
IMMEDIATELY.
SCOTT.
MAJOR WOULD YOU FOR
CLARIFICATION READ THAT FIRST
LINE AGAIN.
YES THIS IS FROM THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TO THE FBI DIRECTOR.
WHILE I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU
INFORMING ME, MEANING COMEY
INFORMING THE PRESIDENT ON
THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS I'M
QUOTING DIRECTLY, THAT I'M NOT
UNDER INVESTIGATION, I MEANING
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THIS LETTER
SAYS NEVERTHELESS CONQUER WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT
YOU COMEY ARE NOT ABLE TO
EFFECTIVELY LEAD THE BUREAU.
AND WHAT THE PRESIDENT WOULD
HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO MAJOR IN
TERMS OF HIM BEING UNDER
INVESTIGATION WOULD HAVE BEEN
SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FBI'S
INVESTIGATION OF WHETHER RUSSIA
HAD INTERFERED WITH THE U.S.
ELECTION THAT MADE HIM
PRESIDENT.
AND IF THERE WAS ANY
ACTIVITY THAT COULD BE
CONSTRUED OR LEGALLY PROSECUTED
AS AMOUNTING TO COLLUSION.
NOW, WHEN THE PRESIDENT SAID HE
IS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION,
THAT IS ONE ASPECT BUT THAT
DOESN'T SUGGEST NOR DOES IT
ASSERT THAT NO ONE AROUND HIM
OR ASSOCIATED WITH HIS CAMPAIGN
ISN'T.
MAJOR GARRETT THANKS VERY
MUCH.
WE WANT TO REMIND YOU A LITTLE
BIT OF THE BACKGROUND HERE.
JAMES COMEY OF COURSE DURING
THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCED
THE FBI WAS INVESTIGATING
WHETHER HILLARY CLINTON HAD
MISUSED IF YOU WILL CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION AND PUT IT ON A
NONCLASSIFIED E-MAIL SERVER
THAT SHE WAS USING FOR HER E-
MAIL CORRESPONDENCE AT THE
TIME.
AT A CERTAIN POINT COMEY CAME
OUT AND SAID THAT THERE'S NO
REASON TO CHARGE MRS. CLINTON
THAT SOME OF WHAT SHE HAD DONE
HAD BEEN EXTREMELY CARELESS HE
SAID BUT DID NOT RISE TO THE
LEVEL OF A CRIMINAL ACTION.
THEN A FEW DAYS BEFORE ELECTION
DAY, COMEY ANNOUNCED THAT NEW E-
MAILS HAD BEEN DISCOVERED AND
THE FBI WAS REOPENING ITS
INVESTIGATION OF MRS. CLINTON.
NOTHING CAME OF THAT EITHER BUT
FORMER SECRETARY CLINTON HAS
BLAMED JAMES COMEY FOR COSTING
HER THE ELECTION.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONTROVERSY
OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS
ABOUT JAMES COMEY'S TESTIMONY
ABOUT THE CLINTON E-MAIL
SITUATION.
NANCY CORDES HAS BEEN COVERING
THAT FOR US ON CAPITOL HILL.
NANCY, COMEY TESTIFIED RECENTLY
BEFORE THE SENATE.
HE TESTIFIED BEFORE THE
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SIX
DAYS AGO.
THIS WAS REALLY HIS FIRST
OPPORTUNITY, SCOTT, TO EXPLAIN
HIS RATIONAL FOR COMING OUT 11
DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION AND
LETTING CONGRESS KNOW IF A WAY
THAT HE WAS SURELY AWARE WOULD
SOON BE DIE AS -- TKEU --
DIVULGE TO THE PUBLIC THAT HIS
AGENTS WERE REOPENING THE
INVESTIGATION.
HE SAID THAT AT THE POINT THEY
DISCOVERED THERE WAS HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS AS HE PUT IT OF E-
MAILS THAT HILLARY CLINTON'S
CLOSE AID HAD FORWARDED TO HER
HUSBAND WEINER TO PRINT OUT
THAT.
HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO
ANNOUNCE TO THE CONGRESS ABOUT
THOSE E-MAILS THAT CONTAINED
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
AND SOURCES SAID THAT ABEDIN
DID NOT FORWARD THOUSANDS OF E-
MAILS THEY WERE JUST A HANDFUL
OF E-MAILS.
AND THAT THEY WERE A BACK UP OF
A BLACKBERRY DEVICE AND THAT
NONE OF THE E-MAILS WERE MARKED
AS CLASSIFIED WHEN ABEDINE SENT
THEM TO HER HUSBAND.
THAT HAS BROUGHT A GREAT DEAL
OF CONFUSION.
SENATORS FROM THE RIGHT AND
LEFT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
EXACTLY WHAT THE TRUTH IS AND
WHAT IS FICTION.
IT WAS VERY SURPRISING COMING
FROM THE FBI DIRECTOR FOR TWO
REASONS.
FIRST OF ALL AS YOU POINTED
OUT, HE IS A LONG TIME LEGAL
EXPERT WHO TYPICALLY CHOOSES
HIS WORDS VERY CAREFULLY AND
CLEARLY NEW THAT HE WAS GOING
TO BE GRILLED ON THIS TOPIC BY
THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
THIS WAS KEY TO HIS EXPLANATION
FOR WHY HE TOOK THE STEPS THAT
HE DID TO ALERT CONGRESS ABOUT
THE REOPENING OF THIS
INVESTIGATION.
SO IT WAS ONLY A FEW HOURS
AFTER WORD BEGAN TO GET OUT
MORE WIDELY HERE ON CAPITOL
HILL THAT HE HAD EITHER
MISSPOKEN OR MISLED CONGRESS
THAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CAME
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
AND IN FACT, ONLY A SHORT TIME
AGO, CONGRESS GOT A LETTER FROM
THE FBI CLARIFYING WHAT IT WAS
THAT DIRECTOR COMEY MEANT TO
SAY IN THAT HEARING LAST WEEK.
NANCY CORDES THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
WANT TO MENTION THAT JAMES
COMEY USED TO BE THE DEPUTY
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED
STATES.
HE WAS NUMBER TWO IN THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT RUNNING ITS
DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS AND HE
WAS APPOINTED TO THAT POST BY
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT GEORGE W.
BUSH.
WE ALSO HAVE MAJOR GARRETT AT
THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN.
YOU HAVE NEW DETAILS AS THIS
STORY IS BREAKING.
I DO.
I MENTIONED A LETTER TO THE
PRESIDENT FROM ROSE.
IN IT HE IS VERY CRITICAL OF
DIRECTOR COMEY'S HANDLING OF
THE INVESTIGATION AND THE
DECISION NOT TO PROSECUTE
HILLARY CLINTON DURING THE 2016
ELECTION.
IN THIS LETTER HE SAYS TO THE
PRESIDENT, I CANNOT ACCEPT THE
DIRECTOR'S HANDLING OF THE
CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION
OF SECRETARY CLINTON'S E-MAILS.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HIS REFUSAL
TO ACCEPT THE NEARLY UNIVERSAL
JUDGMENT THAT HE WAS MISTAKEN.
ALMOST EVERY AGREES THAT THE
DIRECTOR MADE SERIOUS MISTAKES.
IT IS ONE OF THE FEW ISSUES
THAT UNITES PEOPLE OF DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES.
THE LETTER CONCLUDES BY SAYING,
AS A RESULT, THE FBI IS
UNLIKELY TO REGAIN PUBLIC AND
CONGRESSIONAL TRUST UNTIL IT
HAS A DIRECTOR THAT UNDERSTANDS
THE GRAVITY OF THE MISTAKE AND
PLEDGES NEVER TO REPEAT THEM.
HAVING REFUSED TO ADMIT HIS
ERRORS, THE DIRECTOR CAN KPHOT
BE EXPECTED TO IMPLEMENT
NECESSARY ACTIONS.
COMEY WOULD BECOME ONLY THE
SECOND NBI DIRECTOR OF THE
HISTORY OF THE BUREAU TO BE
FIRED BY A PRESIDENT.
THE LAST ONE HAPPENED IN 1993
WHEN PRESIDENT CLINTON FIRED
WILLIAM SESSIONS.
TO REPEAT, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
FIRED FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE ON OUR
LOCAL CBS STATIONS AND TONIGHT
ON OUR STREAMING NEWS SERVICE