Next FBI Director Must Be Truly Independent of Political Influence - US Senator

US Senator Maggie Hassan has said following the removal of James Comey from office that the next FBI chief be able to demonstrate true independence from the political influence of this administration.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Hassan in a statement called for the appointment of a truly independent FBI director who would not be swayed by the political influence of President Donald Trump's administration.

"It is essential that the next FBI director be able to demonstrate true independence from the political influence of this administration and commit to following the facts of any ongoing or future investigations, no matter where they lead," Hassan said on Tuesday.

Trump fired FBI Director James Comey earlier on Tuesday based on the recommendation of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

"The American people deserve a full accounting of the process that went into this decision and deserve to know whether the FBI's ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election had any influence on the President's action," Hassan said.

Trump has faced a storm of accusations over alleged Russian interference in the election. However, Trump has denied any wrongdoing and insists that there is no evidence that his campaign colluded with Russian officials to shape the outcome of the vote.

Russian officials have repeatedly denied allegations of interfering in US elections, and have characterized the charges as an absurd attempt to distract the US public from revelations of corruption and other pressing domestic concerns.