The chairman of the House Oversight Committee is calling for the Justice Department's inspector general to look into the circumstances surrounding President Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.

"Previously I asked Inspector General Horowitz to review the FBI’s actions in advance of the 2016 election," Rep. Jason Chaffetz Jason ChaffetzThe myth of the conservative bestseller Elijah Cummings, Democratic chairman and powerful Trump critic, dies at 68 House Oversight panel demands DeVos turn over personal email records MORE (R-Utah) said in a statement Wednesday.

"Today I sent a letter urging IG Horowitz to expand the scope of his review to include the decision to fire Director Comey. I look forward to receiving the IG’s findings."

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The inspector general is also probing the Justice Department's and the FBI's handling of their investigation into Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Virginia Democrat blasts Trump's 'appalling' remark about COVID-19 deaths in 'blue states' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE's use of a private email server in the months before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump abruptly fired Comey on Tuesday, citing the recommendations of Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein. In a letter explaining the rationale for ousting the FBI director, Rosenstein argued that Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation last year was unprofessional and made him unfit to lead the FBI.

But the decision spurred backlash among Democrats and some Republicans, who questioned the president’s timing and justification for firing Comey.

The FBI is currently investigating Trump and his associates’ potential ties with Russia, as well as the Kremlin’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, leading some lawmakers to openly question whether Comey’s termination was related to the probe.

The White House has defended Trump’s decision, saying that he has long considered getting rid of Comey and had lost confidence in his ability to lead the FBI in recent weeks.

Updated 8:30 p.m. E.S.T.