Fired FBI Director Comey to Obstruct Russia Investigation
Trump fired FBI Director James Comey while the FBI was investigating Russian interference and Trump campaign links. He told NBC: "this Russia thing" was on his mind — a textbook admission of obstruction.
On May 9, 2017, Trump fired FBI Director James Comey while the FBI was actively investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential links to the Trump campaign.
Initially, the White House claimed the firing was based on Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein's recommendation regarding Comey's handling of the Clinton email investigation. But Trump contradicted his own cover story two days later in an NBC interview with Lester Holt:
"I was going to fire Comey regardless of recommendation... And in fact when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.'"
Comey had previously testified that Trump asked him to "let go" of the investigation into National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, saying: "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go." Comey refused.
The firing directly led to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Multiple legal scholars identified the firing as potential obstruction of justice — the president removing the person investigating him while citing that investigation as his reason.