The Fallout from the Comey Dismissal

On May 9, President Trump dismissed FBI Director James Comey, the leading investigator into whether the president's campaign advisers violated the law by working with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election. Coming six years before the end of Comey’s ten-year term, the termination raises serious questions about whether the Administration is interfering in the investigation. On May 11, ACS hosted a briefing call that considered the following questions:

• What are the legal and policy implications of Comey's dismissal?
• Is appointing a special prosecutor or establishing an independent commission the next step?
• What should be the consequences of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' involvement in the dismissal after he recused himself from any involvement in the investigation due to misrepresentations he made to Congress regarding his communications with the Russian government?

Featured Speakers:

Caroline Fredrickson, president, American Constitution Society, Moderator

Stephen Vladeck, professor of law, University of Texas School of Law

Barbara McQuade, professor from practice, University of Michigan Law School; former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan

Richard Painter, S. Walter Richey Professor of Corporate Law, University of Minnesota Law School; former associate counsel and chief ethics lawyer to President George W. Bush