Ohio Politicians Surprised, Troubled after Trump Fires FBI Director Comey

May 9, 2017

Ohio Politicians Surprised, Troubled after Trump Fires FBI Director Comey

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Several Ohio politicians, including Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, released statements of dismay Tuesday evening after President Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey.

Brown was quick to distribute a statement, which acknowledged Comey's "questionable judgment" but also demanded a continued investigation into Russia's ties to the White House.

"[T]he President firing the FBI Director in the middle of an investigation into the White House's ties to Russia raises serious questions about the independence of the FBI and the integrity of the ongoing investigation," Brown said. "The President must nominate a replacement with an independent record that is beyond reproach."

Ohio GOP Sen. Rob Portman has not publicly spoken on Comey's firing as of 10 p.m. Tuesday. Requests for comment from his office were not immediately returned.

The firing was unexpected, but the strong response on social media was not.

Numerous Ohio Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives chimed in with their thoughts on Comey's firing on social media. Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Democrat who represents much of Cleveland's East Side and Akron, sent a tweet echoing Sen. Brown's sentiments.

Rep. Tim Ryan, who represents swathes of Akron and Youngstown, sent a statement calling Comey's firing "disturbing."

"While I had my disagreements with the Director over certain issues, the nature of the position is that it be insulated from political pressures... His firing signals a very dark day for the independent nature of the FBI's work, and further undermines the American people's trust in our institutions," Ryan said.

Another Northeast Ohio Democrat, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, tweeted that Comey's firing harkens back to the days of Nixon. Rep. Joyce Beatty, who represents the Columbus area, sent a tweet of confusion.

Ohio Republican politicians, including U.S. representatives Dave Joyce, Jim Renacci and Pat Tiberi, have also not publicly spoken about Comey's firing Tuesday night. Ohio Gov. John Kasich put out a statement via Twitter just before 10:30 p.m.

Trump suddenly fired Comey shortly after the FBI publicly corrected the former director's statements made during sworn testimony on Capitol Hill last week. In a statement, Trump said that "today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement," and the search for a new director will begin immediately, according to the Associated Press.

This article originally appeared in The Cleveland's Plains Dealer on May 9, 2017.