Donald Trump mocks outrage at firing of Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey

Democratic politicians and officials from New York, New Jersey and CT on Tuesday responded to the abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey by President Trump, some of them calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate any ties between President Donald Trump and Russian Federation.

As news spread of President Donald Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, U.S. Rep. Justin Amash from Michigan's 3rd District says an independent commission needs to continue the investigation into Russian Federation.

Democrats decried the firing, comparing it to President Richard Nixon's "Saturday Night Massacre" decision to fire the independent special prosecutor overseeing the Watergate investigation, prompting the resignations of the Justice Department's top two officials.

In the letter, Trump acknowledged that Comey had informed him "on three separate occasions" that he was not under investigation.

Leahy called Trump's justification for the firing - that Comey had treated Hillary Clinton unfairly in his investigation of her use of a private email server - "absurd".

The White House circulated a scathing memo by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, criticising Comey's handling of the Clinton investigation, including the director's decision to hold a news conference announcing its findings and releasing "derogatory information" about Clinton.

Clinton and the Democrats say Comey's disclosure of the investigation - that ultimately came to naught - 11 days before the election cost her the presidency as it made some voters suspicious of her.

Pushing back against critics of the move, White House officials said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, a career prosecutor who took office on April 25, assessed the situation at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and concluded that Comey had lost his confidence.

Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said Comey served the country well, but "many, including myself, have questioned his actions a couple of times over the past year".

Sessions then forwarded the recommendation to Trump, adding that he has "concluded that a fresh start is needed at the leadership of the FBI.The director of the FBI must be someone who follows faithfully the rule and principles of the Department of Justice". Among the latest developments is the news that grand jury subpoenas have been issued to associates of fired National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and that Senate investigators have asked the Treasury Department for financial information on Trump and his associates. "Why did it happen today?".

Republican Senator John McCain, the Chairman of Armed Services Committee, said he was disappointed by Trump s decision to dismiss Comey. This led to speculation that the probe agency was possibly getting too close to Trump's ties with Russian Federation and how they could have helped the business tycoon-turned-politician win the 2016 United States presidential election.

Comey, who was scheduled to speak at an event in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening, was reported to have learnt his own firing from TV. And yet when Trump fired the Federal Bureau of Investigation director Tuesday, those same Democrats rushed to defend his job.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a post on Twitter that Comey "should be immediately called to testify in an open hearing about the status of Russia/Trump investigation at the time he was sacked".