As FBI Director, James Comey was not only a pivotal member of the Intelligence Community (IC), but the head of an organization investigating whether Russia interfered in last year’s U.S. elections. To get an IC perspective on Comey’s dismissal by the Trump Administration, The Cipher Brief’s Leone Lakhani talked with Michael Hayden, who has served as Director of both the NSA and CIA.
The Cipher Brief: What was your first reaction to the firing of Jim Comey?
Michael Hayden: I’m very surprised and stunned as anyone. And I was puzzled by the public explanation of the firing. The explanation was what he did last summer with regard to the Hillary Clinton email investigation. If that was really the cause, the time to release him would have been in January during the transition. So I’m puzzled why we’re doing this now. The thought I had is that Comey is his own man - his critics would say to a fault. Maybe there was some fear that—like he did last summer, acting independent of the Attorney General—there was fear from the Administration that he might do the same thing with regard to the Russia investigation.
I mean I’m purely speculating here. I’m trying to avoid the conclusion that we’ve become Nicaragua.
TCB: What kind of an impact could this have on the Russia investigation?
MH: The real answer is, I don’t know. Former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers who is also a former FBI agent, said the investigation would continue. And I think it would, but I do think the Director could determine how much energy, how many resources, how much personal attention the investigation would get, and that could change with the new Director.
TCB: How is this likely to be perceived in the world?
MH: I have already got an email from a foreign friend, asking me what’s going on: “It does seem like your institutions are melting down.” That’s a lone email, but he’s a very astute observer.
TCB: That’s the worry isn’t it? It does seem like it’s been a chaotic Trump Administration so far.
MH: Well, so far, in 110 days, we have fired the National Security Advisor, the Acting Attorney General, and the Director of the FBI.
