WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released a statement after President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey:

"No matter the mistakes that Director Comey has made, the timing of his firing clearly suggests that President Trump is trying to influence or upend the FBI's investigation into his campaign's possible collusion with a foreign government. It simply defies logic that President Trump, who made the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton's e-mails a centerpiece of his campaign, would all of the sudden convert to the view that Clinton was treated unfairly.  

“Two things must happen now. First, clearly the time is now for an independent prosecutor. The president's continued refusal to support the appointment of a prosecutor would confirm America's worst fears about the motivation for Comey's firing. Second, the Senate must rise to this constitutional challenge and insist that Director Comey be replaced by a person of unquestioned independence and integrity, not a partisan hack. The Senate, designed by the Founding Fathers as the guardian of democratic norms, must now rise to meet the gravity of this moment.”