The FBI is NOT an independent agency. It is an agency which is part of the US Department of Justice. The director of the FBI reports to the US Attorney General.
The FBI is a police agency. I wonder if any of the morons who are claiming the FBI needs independence would argue that the police department in their cities should be independent of (1) the mayor of that city, (2) the city prosecutor of that city, and (3) the city council of that city. Police Chiefs are routinely fired in this country for questionable activities.
The FBI brass (balls) types should be fired whenever they engage in questionable activities. When they violate the law, they should be indicted and tried. If they are convicted they should be given the maximum sentences allowed by law.
Both Comey and McCabe are attorneys. They should have known the law. They chose to put themselves above the law. The law should now crash down on both of them to remind other attorneys and “police” officers that they are NOT above the law.
I believe ‘independent agency’ for the federal government just means it is authorized on its own by Congress.
For example, the official list of fed ‘independent agencies’ shows the CIA but not the FBI:
https://www.usa.gov/independent-agencies