You're Fired!

Donald Trump’s sacking of FBI director James Comey could herald the start of the biggest political scandal since Watergate.

- Jane Vorster

HE WAS used to having his colleagues hanging on his every word – after all, as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey had access to a treasure trove of secrets and juicy gossip.

But as he stood addressing staff earlier this month he could see their attention was elsewhere. Instead of listening to him they were staring in disbelief at the television screen behind him, which was on mute.

When Comey (56) turned around and saw what it was he couldn’t believe his eyes. At first he thought it must be a prank. There running across the screen was a breaking news alert announcing he’d just been fired.

It turned out to be no joke. Although it was Comey’s job to know all the nation’s secrets he’d been totally in the dark that President Donald Trump was planning to fire him.

Trump was so fed up he didn’t even bother telling Comey the news in person – instead he let him find out along with everyone else by seeing it on TV.

“He wasn’t doing a good job,” Trump told reporters. “Very simple.”

For months Trump and Comey had butted heads on all kinds of issues (see box below).

Although the president’s camp first insisted the firing was as a result of the handling of Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton’s email probe, there are many who believe there was something more sinister behind the shock axing.

There’s speculation it was Comey’s determination to investigate claims the Trump camp was in cahoots with the Russians to rig last year’s elections that ultimately cost him his job.