BEGINNING OF HIS ADMINISTRATION, HE SEEMED TO SHOW CONFIDENCE IN
COMEY. >> LET ME GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
THIS CAME FROM SEAN SPICER. WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL US,
PETER? >> Reporter: LET ME GIVE YOU THE
INFORMATION WE HAVE. I AM JOINING YOUR CONVERSATION
IN PROGRESS. EXCUSE ME IF I REPEAT.
SPICER SAID THE PRESIDENT INFORMED COMEY HE HAS BEEN
TERMINATE AND REMOVED FROM OFFICE.
HE WAS BASED ON THE CLEAR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE DEPUTY
ATTORNEY GENERAL AS WELL AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS.
THE PRESIDENT IN A STATEMENT SAID THE FBI IS OF THE MOST
CHERISHED AND RESPECTED INSTITUTIONS AND TODAY WILL MARK
A NEW BEGINNING FOR THE CROWN JEWEL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM
THE STATEMENT. A SEARCH FOR A NEW PERMANENT FBI
DIRECTOR WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS LETTER
WRITTEN TO DIRECTOR COMEY FROM THE PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP.
IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE FIND NEW LEADERSHIP THAT RESTORES PUBLIC
TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT MISSION.
HE SAID I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
>> STICK AROUND HERE FOR A MINUTE.
LET ME BRING IN PETE WILLIAMS AND GRAB HIM ON THE FBI IS PET
WILLIAMS'S BEAT. PETE, WE KNEW DIRECTOR COMEY
DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF POLITICAL CAPITAL WITH DEMOCRATS OR
REPUBLICANS THESE DAYS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
BUT THE TIMING OF THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST SHOCKING
ASPECT. DID THE DIRECTOR SEE THIS
COMING? >> WELL, IF HE DID, NONE OF HIS
SENIOR STAFF DID. I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH
THE SENIOR FBI OFFICIAL WHO SAYS HE HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS COMING.
THEY ARE IN SHOCK THERE. I ASKED WHERE THE FBI DIRECTOR
IS, WHETHER HE'S IN HIS OFFICE TODAY, AND I WAS TOLD THAT HE'S
NOT THERE NOW, BUT THIS PERSON DIDN'T SAY WHERE THE FBI
DIRECTOR IS. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REASON
FOR THIS IS. THE ASSUMPTION HERE IS THIS IS
BECAUSE OF THE HANDLING OF THE DISCLOSURES DURING THE CAMPAIGN
LAST YEAR REGARDING HILLARY CLINTON.
AND THE FACT THAT IT'S A RECOMMENDATION BY BOTH THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL IS WHAT TAKES
SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF THE WHITE HOUSE HERE BECAUSE IF
OBVIOUSLY IF THE PRESIDENT HAD DONE THIS ON HIS OWN WHILE THE
FBI HAS PUBLICLY SAID THAT IT'S INVESTIGATING ANY CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND THE RUSSIANS AND THE INFLUENCE
IN THE ELECTION LAST YEAR, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXTREMELY
VOLATILE THING TO DO. BUT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT
HAD THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL, JEFF
SESSIONS WHO IS RECUSED FROM THAT --
>> HANG ON, PETER. >> Reporter: AND JUST BECAME THE
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL REESE LENTLY CONFIRMED AND HAS A
BIPARTISAN BACKGROUND, SERVED UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA AND OTHER
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS, THAT TAKES SOME PRESSURE OFF THE
WHITE HOUSE FOR WHAT UNDOUBTEDLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A HUGE BACKWASH.
>> PETE, I HAVE TO PLAY NEWS. PING-PONG, PETER ALEXANDER, YOU
HAVE A QUICK UPDATE. GO, PETER.
>> WE'RE READING THROUGH THIS COLD.
THERE IS MORE FROM THE LETTER I READ TO YOU.
THIS IS THE LETTER WRITTEN FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP TO DIRECTOR
COMEY DATE MARKED TODAY, MAY 9th.
THERE IS ANOTHER PARAGRAPH IN THERE THAT I'M JUST READING THAT
I WANT TO SCHAEFFER BECAUSE I THINK IT GIVES MORE CLARITY
ABOUT THE REASONING BEHIND THIS DECISION.
IT SAYS FROM TRUMP TO COMEY, WHILE I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU
INFORMING ME ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THAT I AM NOT UNDER
INVESTIGATION, I NEVERTHELESS CONCUR WITH THE JUDGMENT OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY LEAD
THE BUREAU. SO, HE USES THIS OPPORTUNITY, OF
COURSE, TO TRY TO CLEAR HIS OWN NAME WHILE SUGGESTING THAT JAMES
COMEY IS NOT IN ANY POSITION THAT HE CAN LEAD THAT AGENCY.
>> A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION THERE.
PETE, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS THE PRESIDENT TRYING TO, HOPE HE'S
TRYING TO I GUESS DEE POLITICIZE THE DECISION WHICH WILL PROBABLY
BE AN IMPOSSIBLE THING FOR HIM TO DO.
>> RIGHT, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BIG QUESTION HERE.
YOU KNOW, THE DIRECTOR HAD JUST TESTIFIED LAST WEEK ABOUT THE
ACTIONS HE TOOK THAT WERE SO CONTROVERSIAL INVOLVING RELEASE
OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE HILLARY CLINTON E-MAIL INVESTIGATIONS.
BEFORE THAT, THE FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY'S TENURE IN THE JOB
HAD GOTTEN HIGH MARKS FROM MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES.
HIS HANDLING OF SEVERAL HIGH-PROFILE INVESTIGATIONS, HIS
PUBLIC WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS THESE ISSUES OF GOING DARK, THE
INABILITY OF THE FBI TO
TRACK TERRORIST CONVERSATIONS. THEN CLAIM THE CLINTON E-MAIL
INVESTIGATION AND HIS TESTIMONY LAST WEEK DIDN'T SATISFY MEMBERS
OF EITHER PARTY. THE DEMOCRATS WERE UPSET WITH
WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE HILLARY CLINTON INVESTIGATION SO LATE IN
THE PROCESS. >> RIGHT.
>> AND DIDN'T SAY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
THE REPUBLICANS WERE UPSET THAT HE DIDN'T EVER FILE -- HE
RECOMMENDED AGAINST FILING CHARGES AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON.
SO, THAT HAS BEEN THE THING THAT HAS BEEN HANGING AROUND HIS NECK
HERE EVER SINCE THE ELECTION LAST YEAR, AND PRESUMABLY THAT'S
THE REASON. >> YOU KNOW, PETE, IT'S CLEAR TO
ME THAT DIRECTOR COMEY HAS TAKEN -- IS PROBABLY MORE
INVOLVED, AT LEAST IN THE COMINGS AND GOINGS OF THIS
RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION THAN PERHAPS A DIRECTOR NORMALLY
WOULD BE BECAUSE OF THE INTENSE SCRUTINY THERE IS.
BUT WHERE IS THIS INVESTIGATION BEING CONDUCTED?
WHAT ENTITY INSIDE THE FBI IS TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS, IF YOU
COULD WALK US THROUGH THAT? >> SURE.
IT'S THE FBI'S COUNTER-ESPIONAGE OR COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE UNIT.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO KEEP TRACK OF THE SPIES.
AND BECAUSE THE ALLEGATION HERE IS THAT THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
WAS USING ITS INTELLIGENCE APPARATUS TO AFFECT THE
AMERICAN ELECTION, THAT'S WHERE THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN ALL
ALONG. NOW, IT'S HELPED OUT BY ITS
CYBER DIVISION BECAUSE THIS INVOLVED ELECTION HACKING, BUT
THERE WAS A PERSON FROM THE COUNTER TERRORISM DIVISION IN
CHARGE OF THIS INVESTIGATION WHO REPORTED TO COMEY.
COMEY WOULD HAVE REPORTED TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, BUT NOW THIS
MEANS THE NEW DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, ROD ROSENSTEIN, WHO
JUST GOT CONFIRMED, IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
>> PETE WILLIAMS, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT A PIECE
OF YOU FOR A LOT OF TELEVISION. SO, I WILL LET YOU GO.
THANK YOU, SIR. PETER ALEXANDER, IF YOU'RE STILL
THERE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THE WHITE HOUSE HAS STARTED, I
GUESS, TRYING TO SPIN HOW THIS DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE
PRESIDENT'S UPSET ABOUT THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
>> Reporter: EVEN AS I SPEAK TO YOU NOW, MY COLLEAGUE HALLE
JACKSON IS SPEAKING TO SEAN SPICER.
LET ME GIVE YOU SOME BACK STORY HOW THIS WENT DOWN.
FRANKLY IN THE LAST 45 MINUTES OR SO ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES WAS
UP IN SEAN SPICER'S OFFICE FOR A LOGISTICS MEETING, A
CONVERSATION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE THERE WHEN REINCE
PRIEBUS WALKED IN THE ROOM AND BASICALLY CLEARED EVERYBODY OUT
OF SEAN'S OFFICE. THE MAIN DOOR THEY ASK YOU TO
EXIT, THEY ASKED THEM TO GO OUT A SEPARATE DOOR AND SAID WE'D
HAVE NEWS FOR YOU. IN 30 MINUTES WE'LL ASK YOU TO
COME BACK UP HERE. THAT NEWS WOULD BREAK 6:15.
A HALF HOUR SHY THAT OF MARK WE GOT THIS BREAKING NEWS.
THIS IS SOMETHING NONE OF US EXPECTED TODAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT WAS STRIKING, THOUGH, CHUCK, MORE OF THE
BACK STORY, A LOT OF THE FOCUS WAS
NOT SO MUCH ABOUT JAMES COMEY AS IT WAS ABOUT POLICIES RELATED TO
AFGHANISTAN, MICHAEL FLYNN, BUT ON THIS TOPIC SPECIFICALLY THERE
WAS A STRIKING MOMENT WHEN SEAN SPICER WAS ASKED ABOUT JAMES
COMEY AND ASKED SPECIFICALLY IF HE STILL -- IF THE PRESIDENT
STILL HAS FULL CONFIDENCE IN HIM.
AND SEAN SAID, BASICALLY IN EFFECT AFTER SORT OF FUMBLING
HIS WAY THROUGH IT, I CAN'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE
PRESIDENT. I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO HIM ON THIS
SPECIFICALLY SINCE THE LAST TIME I ADDRESSED THIS QUESTION.
WHICH SEEMED TO OFFER SOME GAP IN THERE THAT MADE IT CLEAR
SOMETHING WAS GOING ON TODAY WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO WHAT WE
NOW KNOW IS THE DISMISSAL OF THE FBI DIRECTOR.