James B. Comey sent a farewell letter to colleagues Wednesday, a day after he was fired as FBI director by President Trump. CNN was first to obtain the letter. We have annotated Comey's message, using Genius. To see an annotation, click on the yellow, highlighted text.
To all:
I have long believed that a President can fire an FBI Director for any reason, or for no reason at all. I’m not going to spend time on the decision or the way it was executed. I hope you won’t either. It is done, and I will be fine, although I will miss you and the mission deeply.
I have said to you before that, in times of turbulence, the American people should see the FBI as a rock of competence, honesty, and independence. What makes leaving the FBI hard is the nature and quality of its people, who together make it that rock for America.
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It is very hard to leave a group of people who are committed only to doing the right thing. My hope is that you will continue to live our values and the missionof protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.
If you do that, you too will be sad when you leave, and the American people will be safer.
Working with you has been one of the great joys of my life. Thank you for that gift.
Jim Comey
To all:
I have long believed that a President can fire an FBI Director for any reason, or for no reason at all. I’m not going to spend time on the decision or the way it was executed. I hope you won’t either. It is done, and I will be fine, although I will miss you and the mission deeply.
I have said to you before that, in times of turbulence, the American people should see the FBI as a rock of competence, honesty, and independence. What makes leaving the FBI hard is the nature and quality of its people, who together make it that rock for America.
5-Minute Fix newsletter
Keeping up with politics is easy now.
Sign up
It is very hard to leave a group of people who are committed only to doing the right thing. My hope is that you will continue to live our values and the missionof protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.
If you do that, you too will be sad when you leave, and the American people will be safer.
Working with you has been one of the great joys of my life. Thank you for that gift.
Jim Comey