White House hopes that Donald Trump could leave scandalous allegations at home were crushed in a one-two punch of revelations that landed shortly after his departure.
The announcement that Mr Comey would testify followed disclosure by the Justice Department that Deputy Attorney-General Rod Rosenstein had talked with Attorney-General Jeff Sessions about replacing Mr Comey last winter, before either man had been confirmed for his post in the Trump administration.
US President Donald Trump told Russian officials at an Oval Office meeting last week that firing FBI Director James Comey eased pressure on him as he was a "real nut job" and "crazy", a media report claimed today.
Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, has reportedly been identified as a "person of interest" in the ongoing investigation into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.
James Comey, the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director fired by Trump, will testify in an open session of the US Senate Intelligence Committee in June, members of the committee confirmed on Friday.
Comey will certainly be asked about encounters that precipitated his firing, including a January dinner in which, Comey has told associates, Trump asked for his loyalty.
Asked about the Times report, Spicer said of the former FBI chief, "by grandstanding and politicizing the investigation into Russia's actions, James Comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with Russian Federation". "It makes it very clear that what Donald Trump was trying to do was to end the Russian investigation". The White House says that address will be strong and respectful.
Comey's decision ended more than a week of speculation about whether he would appear publicly to make his case since he was sacked by Trump on 9 May, and underscores how the probe is accelerating. "He was insane, a real nut job", Trump reportedly told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "But I just asked the direct question: Did the president confront the Russians on their interference in our election?"
Reports earlier in the week said Comey had written a memo about a conversation he had with Trump in February.
US lawmakers from both parties have expressed varying degrees of concern about ties between the Trump administration and Russian Federation and the president's handling of the matter.
Trump's travel ban heads to federal appeals court
Wall said respect for Trump's authority was one reason, adding that the travel ban "has nothing to do with religion". Niemeyer on Monday pondered just how far a court should go into someone's past to determine the person's intent.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer called the president's rhetoric part of his deal-making.
"The investigation would have always continued, and obviously, the termination of Comey would not have ended it". "I'm really concerned about these kind of leaks because it undermines everybody's trust in that kind of an environment where you can have frank, candid and oftentimes unconventional conversations to try to protect American interests and secure the American people".
In a brief statement, Mueller said, "I accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability", CNN reported.
In a separate news report on Friday, the Washington Post claimed that a senior White House adviser was a person of significant interest in the investigation into possible ties between Trump's election campaign and Russian Federation.
Mr Rosenstein revealed that detail in two briefings to Congress members last week, according to remarks released on Friday by the Justice Department.
But Senate Judiciary Committee leaders - who also wanted Comey to testify before their panel in the wake of his dismissal - criticized the former director's decision to appear only before the Intelligence Committee.
"I think documents will help us to ferret out exactly what's the truth and what's a lie".
Meanwhile inside sources have claimed Russian officials bragged over their ability to use Mr Flynn to influence President Trump.
Senator Lindsey Graham said Thursday the appointment of a special counsel meant "Congress's ability to conduct investigations of all things Russian Federation has been severely limited".
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