WASHINGTON — Former Michigan congressman Mike Rogers' name is again being bandied about as a possible candidate for FBI director with President Donald Trump abruptly firing James Comey this week.

Rogers, a former FBI agent and Republican from Howell, served seven 2-year terms in Congress and was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee before stepping down in 2015 to take over a syndicated radio program.

Four years ago, after Robert Mueller stepped down as FBI director, Rogers was looked at as a possible replacement, earning the backing the the FBI Agents Association, an organization made up of some 13,000 former and current FBI agents.

Paul Nathanson, a spokesman for the organization, said today that since Comey's firing only happened Tuesday, there have been no discussions regarding possible candidates. But he added that the group's "view of Mike Rogers hasn’t changed — he exemplifies the principles that the FBIAA believes are essential in a director."

Rogers was part of Trump's transition team working on national security issues before leaving the team suddenly in November. Rogers' departure from the team coincided with other changes, including then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence taking over the transition team from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Rogers has also been a national security contributor on CNN and hosted a series called "Declassified," looking at covert operations. As Intelligence Committee chairman, he was credited with working with Democrats as well as Republicans and a report on the 2012 Benghazi attacks by the committee found there were no major intelligence failures leading up to the attack.

A spokesperson for Rogers offered no comment on speculation that his might be a name considered to replace Comey, though Rogers released a statement saying that the firing "will undoubtedly lead to some uncertainty in the coming days as the Bureau and its fine women and men come to terms with the impending transition."

"It is absolutely critical that this process is as smooth and efficient as possible to ensure that the FBI gets back on its feet and resumes its focus on its critical law enforcement, national security and counter intelligence missions," Rogers said.

Contact Todd Spangler: 703-854-8947 or tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler.