NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has accused the US administration of “political interference” for firing FBI Director James Comey while Julian Assange has invited the latter to work for WikiLeaks.
Comey was fired on Tuesday, days after he testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee about the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
READ MORE: Trump fires FBI Director James Comey
“Set aside politics: every American should condemn such political interference in the Bureau’s work,” Snowden tweeted.
Many view the sudden firing as being tied to Comey’s role in the Russia investigation, although Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Comey was fired over his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server during her time as secretary of state.
“This FBI Director has sought for years to jail me on account of my political activities,” Snowden tweeted. “If I can oppose his firing, so can you.”
Meanwhile, Assange tweeted that: “WikiLeaks would be happy to consider hiring James Comey to help lead its DC office should he like to properly investigate the US government.”
Assange said an FBI source had claimed the Bureau would now “start leaking like Niagara.”
“But please, FBI friends, full docs or you know the press will spin it,” he added.
“Comey's firing will be an extraordinary boon for transparency as his loyalists leak and the admin counter-leaks,” Assange tweeted. “Will he run for 2020?”
Assange also drew his followers’ attention back to 1993, when President Bill Clinton fired FBI chief William S Sessions, after he refused to resign on recommendation of the attorney general. Sessions, who was accused of ethical violations, was the only other FBI head to be fired.
“Mr. Comey knows where many bodies are buried,” Assange tweeted. “Working for WikiLeaks is fulfilling. James – don't become another lobbyist for Glock or Donkin.”
READ MORE: ‘Constitutional crisis’: Trump’s firing of FBI director ignites Twitter frenzy
Snowden also retweeted a couple of tweets drawing comparisons with the Watergate scandal, as well as claims that Trump and the attorney general Jeff Sessions fired Comey because of the investigation.
During the Watergate investigation, President Richard Nixon sought to fire the special prosecutor Archibald Cox, and the attorney general and deputy resigned after they refused to take action.