Some of Ohio’s Republican lawmakers want answers

WASHINGTON — Rep. Pat Tiberi suggested Wednesday that he would support a special prosecutor to examine links between the Trump campaign and administration and Russia — but only if the House and Senate intelligence committees call for one.

The Genoa Township Republican’s statement came one day after President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. Democrats immediately accused the president of firing Comey not because of the recommendations of the attorney general and deputy attorney general, but because Comey was investigating the Trump team’s ties to Russia.

“There are many questions about Director Comey’s firing that the White House needs to answer,” said Tiberi. “That said, I continue to support the ongoing bipartisan investigations into Russia in both the House and Senate intelligence committees to examine the facts and follow the evidence where it leads. If the leaders of these committees together determine that a special prosecutor is warranted, I would support that decision.”

Later, Tiberi elaborated, “The director apparently went into the White House and asked for extra funding for the Russia investigation, and that raises eyebrows with me. So I think the White House needs to come clean and answer those questions.”

Sen. Rob Portman questioned Trump’s decision.

“Given the timing and circumstances of the decision, I believe the White House should provide a fuller explanation regarding the president’s rationale,” the Ohio Republican said. “The American people must have faith in a strong, independent FBI.”

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, said, “The timing of the dismissal raises a number of questions.” He called for the administration to lay out how they’ll handle investigations that had been under Comey’s direction.

“It is essential that the FBI continue to operate as an independent investigative body, free from any undue influence from the political branches of government,” Chabot said.

Upper Arlington Republican Steve Stivers said, “I think we all want to understand the timeline of what happened. ... I want to assure the American people and people in my district that the House and Senate intelligence committees are continuing, and the FBI investigation, to the extent there is one, is continuing.”

In large part, Ohio Republicans backed Trump’s decision:

Kelsey Knight, spokeswoman for Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, who is running for governor: “I know he trusts the president’s decision and isn’t going to feed into political or partisan gossip regarding why.”

Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta: “This president, like any president, is free to hire and fire appointees to federal agencies.”

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy: “Director Comey unquestionably led divisive and complex investigations, and it is essential that the next director of the FBI inspire confidence in the rule of law.”

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Cincinnati: “While the public deserves clarity as to the timing and reasoning behind the immediate firing of FBI Director James Comey, it’s indisputable that the controversies surrounding the director had become an area of concern for many Americans on both sides of the aisle.”

Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green: “President Trump decided a change needed to be made.”

But Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said he’d spent the morning talking to senators from both parties.

“Everyone’s concerned about what Trump’s connections with the oligarchs and Putin and Russia are,” he said. “Everybody wants to get to the bottom of this.”

Brown also disagreed with the notion that Comey was fired because of his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. He said were that the case, “he would’ve been fired Jan. 20.”

“It’s pretty clear that Comey was getting closer and closer to unearthing information that would embarrass” the Trump administration, he said. escalated to the federal government this week, Sherry Miller couldn’t escape its presence in her own backyard.

Miller has lived in her Sherrodsville home in Carroll County for 18 years. The past three have been a battle to keep the Rover Pipeline from running through her property, she said.

Since February, bulldozers and cranes operate on three sides of her property starting at 6:30 a.m. Heavy machinery roars just a few feet from the small pasture, coop and yard where Miller’s three pigs, four goats, six dogs and dozens of chickens live.

“This company has proven to everyone that they just disregard everything … and they do what they want to do,” she said.

Miller said she and her husband plan to abandon the dream home they spent years building.

“It feels like we’re trapped,” she said. “I try to tell myself it’ll be fine when these pipelines are done, when they’re underground and the construction crews leave.

“Then the other side of me says, ‘You’ve got to run.’”