Reports from Washington indicate that Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is on the short list to take over the position of FBI director following the firing of James Comey.
White House sources told Fox News that Cornyn is one of 11 people being considered by the President to replace Comey. Fox News quoted an unnamed White House source stating, “We are moving quickly and expeditiously to pick an interim and a permanent replacement, and we’re doing our due diligence—we’re not going to cut any corners.”
Responding to an email inquiry from Breitbart Texas, Senator Cornyn wrote, “I have the distinct privilege of serving 28 million Texans in the United States Senate, and that is where my focus remains.”
Cornyn currently serves as the Senate Majority Whip, the number two leadership position in the U.S. Senate. He has previously served as the Texas Attorney General, an associate justice on the Texas Supreme Court and as a Texas district court judge. Texans elected Cornyn to the U.S. Senate in 2002 to fill the seat of retiring Senator Phil Gramm.
Other lawmakers reported to be on the short list include South Carolina Representative Trey Gowdy, a form federal prosecutor, and former Representative Mike Rogers from Michigan.
Trump is also reported to be considering other law enforcement professionals including former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly who served under Mayor Rudy Giuliani during the 9/11 attack. Larry Thompson, former deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush is also said to be under consideration.
The remainder of the list includes:
- Former Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher
- Paul Abbate, executive assistant director for the Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch
- Associate Judge of New York Court of Appeals Mike Garcia
- Mayor of Colorado Springs John Suthers
- Former federal appellate court Judge Michael Luttig, now executive vice president of Boeing
- Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe
Abbate and Rogers share former FBI experience, as does the current acting director.
Despite having appeared to contradict some of the White House’s statements regarding the firing of his former boss, McCabe is still under consideration, Fox News reported. “Some of the things he said backed up some very important points,” the source said. “Of course, this is a significant investigation, but it has turned up zero evidence of collusion—the place is leaking like a sieve, and if there was something out there, we’d have heard by now.”
Officials made it clear to Fox News that he list is not finalized and names could be added or removed as necessary.
When the appointment is announced by President Trump, a heated confirmation process can be expected before the nominee’s final approval.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.
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