Merrick Garland For FBI Director? Sen. Mike Lee Endorses Former SCOTUS Nominee

WASHINGTON, DC — In another remarkable twist in the ongoing drama that began in the 2016 presidential campaign, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee publicly endorsed former nominee for the Supreme Court Merrick Garland for the position of FBI Director on Thursday. After President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey amid a continuing investigation into potential links between Russia intelligence operations and the president's campaign, Garland would appear to be a neutral party to take over the agency.

"Instead of a special prosecutor, [Trump] should nominate Merrick Garland to replace James Comey," Lee wrote on twitter.

There's a certain cleverness in the idea of bringing Garland in as director. Trump's decision to fire Comey elicited widespread outrage among the lawmakers and opponents of the president and even drew criticism from some members of the GOP.

Garland is a casualty of another partisan battle over the late Justice Antonin Scalia's seat on the Supreme Court. Many Democrats and liberal activists are still bitter over the battle for the seat, during which the Republican Senate refused to even consider President Obama's nomination of Garland. Instead, the GOP held the seat open for Trump to fill once he attained office, which eventually led to Justice Neil Gorsuch sitting on the bench.

Bringing in Garland, of all people, to mollify another source of liberal outrage, is a bold and compelling suggestion. It also has the benefit for the president, if Lee's suggestion is accepted in full, of avoiding pressure to appoint a special prosecutor. Even if nothing ever came of the Russian investigation, a special prosecutor could become a hindrance to Trump's agenda.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images