ey ▁revealed ▁in ▁Senate ▁testim ony ▁the ▁bread th ▁of ▁the ▁counter int elligence ▁investigation ▁into ▁Russia ' s ▁effort ▁to ▁s way ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁U . S . ▁president ial ▁election ▁and ▁that ▁Com ey ▁was ▁giving ▁too ▁much ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁Russia ▁pro be ▁and ▁not ▁to ▁internal ▁le aks ▁within ▁the ▁government . ▁On ▁May ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁he ▁gave ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Jeff ▁S essions ▁and ▁Deput y ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Rosen stein ▁a ▁directive ▁to ▁explain ▁in ▁writing ▁a ▁case ▁against ▁Com ey . ▁That ▁directive ▁was ▁forward ed ▁to ▁Trump ▁as ▁a ▁recommendation ▁to ▁dismiss ▁Com ey ▁the ▁following ▁day , ▁which ▁Trump ▁did . ▁ ▁Com ey ▁first ▁learned ▁of ▁his ▁term ination ▁from ▁television ▁news ▁reports ▁that ▁flash ed ▁on ▁screen ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁deliver ing ▁a ▁speech ▁to ▁agents ▁at ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Field ▁Office . ▁ ▁S ources ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁surprised ▁and ▁caught ▁off ▁guard ▁by ▁the ▁term ination . ▁Com ey ▁immediately ▁depart ed ▁for ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁and ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁cancel ▁his ▁scheduled ▁speech ▁that ▁night ▁at ▁an ▁F BI ▁rec ruit ment ▁event ▁at ▁the ▁Direct ors ▁Gu ild ▁of ▁America ▁in ▁Hollywood , ▁California . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁a ▁Senate - conf ir med ▁F BI ▁Director , ▁Deput y ▁Director ▁Andrew ▁McC abe ▁automatically ▁became ▁the ▁acting ▁director , ▁serving ▁until ▁the ▁confirm ation ▁of ▁Christopher ▁W ray . ▁ ▁References