Alaska’s U.S. senators have responded somewhat differently to President Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey.
In a written statement, Sen. Lisa Murkowski emphasized the timing. She said the firing came “in the middle of an investigation into Russia’s interference in our election.” She called that “serious cause for concern.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan’s statement was more deferential to the president. He said the timing “raises questions that will need to be answered by the administration.”
But Sullivan noted the president has the power to choose a new FBI director. He said the FBI and Senate Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigations should continue. And Sullivan said the probes should cover the “unmasking” of private citizens, a reference to actions by the Obama White House. In another reference to the prior administration, Sullivan suggested the White House and federal agencies have eroded the rule of law “over the past several years.”
Alaska Democratic Party Chairwoman Casey Steinau faults both senators for not calling for special prosecutor. She called both of their statements vague.
“And not decisive, and not standing up for what is clearly a problem, when the president fires the very person who is running and leading the investigation on the White House,” Steinau said.
Murkowski spokeswoman Karina Petersen said Murkowski believes the option of a special prosecutor should be considered.
“She hasn’t said specifically what’s the next path forward in the ongoing investigation,” Petersen said. “That’s what the next days (and) weeks will determine, as she find out more information and speaks with her colleagues.”
Neither senator granted interview requests today before they boarded Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s plane, bound for an Arctic Council meeting in Fairbanks.
Congressman Don Young was traveling, too. His office issued a statement with no criticism of the firing or its timing.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
