Under the Constitution, the FBI Director is an executive branch official and can be removed if needed. But only in one instance since 1908, after the FBI and its predecessor agency were formed, has a President removed an FBI Director from office. In July 1993, President Bill Clinton dismissed William Sessions as FBI Director after allegations were made that Sessions used government resources for personal travel and that leadership conflicts existed within the Bureau. Attorney General Janet Reno recommended the dismissal.
10 May 2017
The Firing of the FBI Director
Back in March a blog post on the National Constitution Center's blog "Constitution Daily" asked the question: "How independent is the FBI director and can he be removed from office?" Last night this theoretical question became reality as President Trump fired the FBI Director. The entire blog post is worth a read, but the short answer to the question is yes, the President can fire the FBI Director. The blog post explains:
