Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) said it would be “plain unprofessional” if FBI Director James Comey learned of his firing from television, as reported Tuesday night.
Curbelo added in a separate statement that Comey’s ouster must not impede the FBI’s probe “of the Russian government’s efforts to influence our last election.”
{mosads}“Congress and the American people need a transparent explanation as to how this decision was reached and why it was executed at this time.”
The White House announced Tuesday afternoon that President Trump had fired Comey on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein.
The White House said that a search for a new permanent FBI director would “begin immediately.”
Comey reportedly learned of his ouster from a television news report during a visit to an FBI field office in Los Angeles.
Staffers purportedly pulled Comey aside after he laughed at the report on a TV screen behind him, believing it was a prank.
Keith Schiller, the director of Oval Office operations at the White House, tried hand delivering a letter from Trump to Comey informing him of the move late Tuesday.
But Comey, who was speaking to FBI employees in Los Angeles, was not present to receive the message.