But Dan Coats, director of National Intelligence, and Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, repeatedly refused to discuss their conversations with Trump or say whether the president had ever asked them to intervene in the FBI's probe.
The director of national intelligence and the director of the National Security Agency refused Wednesday to say whether President Donald Trump had asked them to get former FBI Director James B. Comey to curtail the bureau's Russian Federation investigation.
The Washington Post reported on May 22 that Trump had asked the intelligence officials to help push back against the FBI investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and Moscow.
However, both Coats and Rogers did say that President Trump had never asked them to engage in any behavior that might be considered either unethical or illegal.
"I don't feel it's appropriate to characterize discussions with the president", Coats said at the time.
- Coats and Rogers continued to stonewall the committee, and state that they feel it is inappropriate to answer.
Also being interviewed by the committee Wednesday were acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
Warner said he wanted Rogers to have a chance to confirm or deny the reports. He asked Rogers, "Why are you not answering these questions?"
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden asked if any of the witnesses had taken notes or recorded any of their conversations with the president that concerned the Russian Federation investigation, as Comey reportedly did.
Comey suspects Loretta Lynch was working with Clintons
But Comey told lawmakers he wouldn't have done things differently with regard to his decision on the Clinton email case. But he said the matter gave him a "queasy feeling".
But the officials said that they would first check with legal counsel at the White House to make sure the President did not intend to invoke executive privilege.
While Mr. Coats was firm in his denial of ever feeling pressured by the White House, he implied he could only provide more details of his White House conversations in a non-public meeting.
"At no time should you be in a position where you come to Congress without an answer", he said. "I do mean it in a contentious way".
"I don't believe it's appropriate for me to address that in a public session", Coats told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. "And so I'm not prepared to answer your question today". McCabe pointed out that the committee would hear from Comey directly on Thursday.
"I have never been pressured".
She said the White House had not yet received any follow-up requests regarding the testimony of Coats or Rogers.
However, the hearing offered relatively little new information, and shortly after it ended at midday, it was overtaken by the release of a statement by James Comey, the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director who was sacked by Trump on May 9. As a warmup round on Wednesday, three current us intelligence officials came before the same committee.
Trump has since said he was considering "this Russian Federation thing" in his decision to fire Comey.
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