Comey was fired by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017 reportedly days after Comey asked increased funding from the Justice Department for the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. The Justice Department called the "New York Times" report that Comey asked for more funding "totally false". In a statement by the White House, they released a statement saying that "removing Comey will help bring the Russia investigation to end" quickly and rapidly, and that it would be ended soon.