On 10 October 2017, the nonpartisan Brookings Institution released a report concluding that evidence already in the public record strongly suggests President Donald Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey was done with improper intent:
Our review of the facts and the law leads us to the view that the president likely obstructed justice. Should that conclusion be borne out, we believe he will be held to account under one or another of the vehicles we have outlined, for no one is above the law in our system. Accountability will have significant consequences for the functioning of our democracy. We offer this paper as a framework to evaluate the facts and the investigation as they develop, and to help prepare for the turbulence that may well lie ahead...
In our view, subjecting the president to criminal prosecution will not necessarily incapacitate the executive branch. While we acknowledge there are special considerations that must impact any form of litigation involving the president, the possibility of a criminal case against President Trump is consistent with the Article III jurisdiction of federal courts and Supreme Court precedent.
2017/10/11/top-washington-think-tank-trump-likely-obstructed-justice/