Rep. Trent Franks, a conservative Republican from Arizona, and a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, is demanding that Robert Mueller resign.
He argued that Mueller and former FBI director James B. Comey have “a close friendship” and that Mueller “appears to be a partisan arbiter of justice.”
In addition, Franks criticized Mueller for bringing individuals to his team who donated to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, which he called “obviously deliberate partisan hirings” that “do not help convey impartiality.”
“Until Mueller resigns, he will be in clear violation of the law,” Franks concluded.
Freshman Republican Andy Biggs, called on Mueller to recuse himself in June. Biggs cited similar arguments.
Left-wing fact checker Snopes declared that Mueller and Comey are not “best friends” or “close friends”. The claim is false.
The two are, however, “brothers-in-arms” according to WaPo. The Washingtonian says they “forged” a “deepening friendship”.
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For the past 15 years, the two men have been described as “brothers in arms.” Their work together during the controversies over Bush-era terrorist surveillance has been characterized as “deepening a friendship forged in the crucible of the highest levels of the national security apparatus after the 9/11 attacks,” after which the men became “close partners and close allies throughout the years ahead.”
This sounds like more than two people with a simple working relationship.
Breitbart quoted former assistant FBI director Robert Kallstrom as saying they are “best friends”.
David Kelley, Comey’s attorney, said the idea that Comey is “best friends” with Mueller is an overstatement. He said the two have a genial relationship as former colleagues — both men have long legal careers that involve overlapping time spent working within the Department of Justice. He claims it doesn’t rise to the level of recusal.
Breitbart also cited a piece written by journalist Garrett Graff in Politico magazine, in which Graff describes the pair’s working relationship:
While Mueller technically reported to Comey as deputy attorney general, Comey, two decades his junior, treated Mueller as a close friend and almost mentor. The men had known each other for years as each rose into the small, elite fraternity of prosecutors at the top of the Justice Department.
Snopes finds they just have a casual work relationship.
The best way to deal with this, to be on the safe side, is for Mueller to resign.
What is really concerning is that only two Republicans have demanded Mueller step down. Democrats made loud, crazed demands that Sessions stepped down. We don’t see that in the Republican Party.
Fifteen other Republicans in the House Judiciary Committee have sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy FBI director Rod Rosenstien insisting a second special counsel be appointed to investigate Hillary Clinton, James Comey, and Loretta Lynch. Others have added Barack Obama and Susan Rice to that list.
We need more Republicans fighting – loudly.
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