Snowden tells universities Trump’s firing of FBI director is alarming
WINNIPEG — The decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to fire FBI director James Comey is alarming and part of a global shift away from democratic controls over powerful people, former intelligence officer Edward Snowden said Tuesday night.
Snowden spoke via video link to three universities in Manitoba and Alberta from Russia, where he lives in exile after quitting the National Security Agency in the U.S. and revealing some of its surveillance secrets.
He said the firing is worrisome because Comey was conducting a wide-ranging probe into the Trump administration, including the possible influence of Russia in last year’s U.S. election.
“This calls into question our commitment to the rule of law,” Snowden said.