Experts: Comey's firing could be 'bigger than Watergate'
Glenn Carle, a former CIA clandestine-services officer and national-security expert, said it would be "catastrophic" if Trump had fired Comey because he was angry about the FBI's probe into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.
"Watergate was huge, but it was based on a criminal charge," he told Business Insider. He said Trump's firing of Comey during the investigation would be "borderline betrayal" and a critical threat to national security if it were based on the Russia probe.
Richard Painter, who was the chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, also expressed suspicion about Comey's firing and said Trump's move was an abuse of presidential power.
"We cannot tolerate this — for the president to be firing people who are investigating him and his campaign and its collusion with the Russians," Painter told Rolling Stone.
Glenn Carle, a former CIA clandestine-services officer and national-security expert, said it would be "catastrophic" if Trump had fired Comey because he was angry about the FBI's probe into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.
"Watergate was huge, but it was based on a criminal charge," he told Business Insider. He said Trump's firing of Comey during the investigation would be "borderline betrayal" and a critical threat to national security if it were based on the Russia probe.
Richard Painter, who was the chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, also expressed suspicion about Comey's firing and said Trump's move was an abuse of presidential power.
"We cannot tolerate this — for the president to be firing people who are investigating him and his campaign and its collusion with the Russians," Painter told Rolling Stone.