Former FBI Director James Comey says it was "very concerning" when President Donald Trump asked him to back off an investigation of former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.
Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said nothing he read in Comey's statement convinces him that Trump violated the law by interfering with a federal investigation.
Comey says that after consulting with top Federal Bureau of Investigation officials, he decided not to tell anyone at the Justice Department about Trump's requests.
Comey, a former Republican, was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2013 and fired by Trump on May 9, 2017. But on Wednesday, the committee released a written transcript of his opening statement. "The Left and the media are using the Russian Federation investigation as a means to obstruct the President's agenda". But we also now know there's a possibility Trump made the same request of two other top intelligence officials, which would change the dynamics of a situation that's currently a he said-he said between Trump and Comey. By now, everyone knows the big picture: Trump, in this recounting, demanded an oath of fealty from the supposedly independent FBI director, pressed him to "lift the cloud" cast over the Trump White House by the ongoing Russian Federation investigation, and leaned on Comey to quash a FBI investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser.
Comey said the president said, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy", Comey quoted Trump as telling him on February 14 as they sat alone together in the Oval Office, in prepared testimony for Thursday's Senate hearing.
"Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal; we had that thing you know", Mr. Comey says Mr. Trump told him. He is a good guy. He later added: "My guess is that the White House wanted them to say nothing, but didn't want to leave their executive privilege fingerprints on it".
Sanders referred specific questions to Trump's outside counsel, Marc Kasowitz, who did not respond to inquiries Wednesday.
Sacked FBI Director James Comey has released a detailed statement about his conversations with Trump ahead of tomorrow's testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Instead, he'll be tried by the US Congress, who will all be operating under the glare of the public eye and will need to run for re-election.
Third London attacker named amid anger over security flaws
The identification of Butt as one of the attackers raised many questions about what British authorities knew about him and when. She said she didn't approve of his London friends and never felt comfortable in the London neighborhood where he lived.
"In my three-plus-years I have as director of the NSA, to the best of my recollection, I have never been directed to do anything I believe illegal, immoral, unethical or inappropriate", Rogers said.
Comey's account is a damning indictment of the president. "The president has the utmost respect for our law enforcement agencies and all investigations".
According to a May 11 New York Times report, Trump had told Comey he "needed his loyalty".
Not much, except for this interesting detail: On January 27, President Trump invited Comey to dinner at the White House that evening, the same day that acting attorney general Sally Yates first warned White House counsel Don McGahn that Mike Flynn could be compromised by his dealings with Russian Federation.
"I could be wrong, but I took him to be focusing on what had just happened with Flynn's departure and the controversy around his account of his phone calls", Comey said.
Coats, who was confirmed as Trump's national intelligence director in mid-March, said: "In interacting with the president of the United States or anybody in his administration, I have never been pressured". Comey said Trump said he would "have his people" reach out to Boente, and that he told the President that was the way to go. Still, Comey said, he found his contacts with Trump troubling.
The Union Pub in Washington planned to buy patrons a round of drinks every time Trump, a frequent tweeter, makes a post on Twitter during Comey's testimony.
Some Democrats - including Clinton - say Comey's last-minute reopening of the email probe caused her to lose the election.
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