WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey.
In a statement, Trump says Comey's firing "will mark a new beginning" for the FBI. The White House says the search for a new FBI director will begin immediately.
Comey's firing comes days after he testified on Capitol Hill about the FBI's investigation into Russia's election meddling and possible connections between Russia and Trump's campaign.
It also comes on the heels of a confirmation from the FBI that Comey provided erroneous testimony to a Senate panel about how Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin handled classified emails.
Trump's actions to fire Comey were based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.
“The FBI is one of our Nation’s most cherished and respected institutions and today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement,” Trump said in a statement.
A search for a new permanent FBI director will begin immediately, Spicer said.
The FBI is currently conducting an investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during last year's presidential election.
Comey also has been under fire from Democrats for months over his announcement, less than two weeks before the November election, that the FBI was reopening an e-mail investigation into Clinton.