President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey isn't the reason that warrants appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference in the U.S. presidential elections.

The dismissal is just the latest of many reasons for an independent evaluation of meddling by Russians and their links to the Trump campaign and members of the president's administration.

Although Trump lauded Comey when he reopened the FBI's probe of Hillary Clinton's sensitive emails late in the presidential campaign, the director had been criticized by the political center, right and left.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — who has a "straight-up-the-middle" reputation, according to the Wall Street Journal editorial page — recently wrote a scathing memo to Trump about Comey. On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a conservative Republican from South Carolina, said: "Democrats and Republicans (at) different times and (for) different reasons have had problems" with Comey. In an editorial printed Wednesday, The New York Times wrote, "Comey's atrocious handling of the Clinton email investigation ... proved that he could not be trusted to be neutral."

Graham and other senators insisted that the firing would not impede the inquiry led by the Republican-dominated Senate. Fine.

Nevertheless, the appointment of an independent prosecutor, as provided by law, is warranted — in addition to a bipartisan joint congressional inquiry of the sort recommended earlier this year by former Florida Sen. Bob Graham, a Democrat known for his expertise in intelligence investigations and political independence.

Why?

One compelling reason is that the FBI is investigating not only interference in the elections but also connections between Russian officials and Trump surrogates, including high-ranking members of his administration who have been deceitful about those links. Since the next FBI director will be appointed by Trump and work for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, his independence in the investigation will be compromised.

For instance, Sessions recused himself from the investigation after it was revealed that he misled or outright lied to the Senate about his meetings and communications with Russian diplomats last July and September. In late December, Michael T. Flynn, who eventually and briefly served as Trump's national security adviser, discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that nation's ambassador.

Politically, the Justice Department may be unlikely to appoint a special prosecutor and Congress may be hesitant to conduct a bipartisan, joint inquiry.

But, despite the insistence by Republican senators that their investigation will be impartial, a special prosecutor and a bipartisan congressional examination would provide Americans with more believable assurances of an independent criminal probe and a balanced assessment of foreign influence on recent and, possibly, future elections.

Americans deserve the truth, yet they are not likely to receive it without extraordinary actions.

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