Comey's release of Trump memo to newspaper: Was it legal?

Trump holds a news conference Friday afternoon. Standing with Iohannis, a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation partner, Trump at last confirmed his commitment to the alliance's mutual defense pact, Article 5, uttering words he deliberately did not say when he spoke at NATO's gathering in Belgium last month. But that idea went by the wayside after Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein instead reached out to Mueller to run the politically sensitive Russia probe, which is also examining ties between Russians and Trump campaign aides, the sources said.

Comey's testimony also revisits the president's knowledge that Michael Flynn was under investigation by the FBI before Trump took office.

"Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication.and WOW, Comey is a leaker!" ".and WOW, Comey is a leaker!"

Every seat was taken at the Union Pub in Washington, located in the shadow of the building where Comey testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee for about three hours from 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT).

"It had been characterized one way, but we had some reason to believe that wasn't the case", Franken said on MSNBC. Trump had stayed unusually quiet on Thursday, refraining from weighing in on the testimony gripping the country both on Twitter and at several public appearances.

In his opening statement, Comey somberly accused the Trump administration of spreading "lies, plain and simple" in the aftermath of his abrupt ouster, declaring that the administration "chose to defame me and, more importantly, the FBI" by claiming the bureau was in disorder.

During a dinner on January 27, Trump said he wanted loyalty from Comey, to which Comey offered honesty. Comey's testimony underscored the discord that had soured their relationship.

After his firing, Comey released some of the records to the public through a friend, saying it was his right as a private citizen to feed media unclassified information. The paper reported Trump had asked Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Kasowitz also maintained that the testimony made clear that Trump "never, in form or substance, directed or suggested that Mr. Comey stop investigating anyone". As a technical matter, one could argue that memos written by the FBI Director detailing meetings he had in his official capacity are property of the FBI and not his personal documents to distribute as he pleases.

"If there are tapes of the conversations at the White House, we'd like to know", said Schiff, a Democrat from California.

Kasowitz has denied that account, but he also argued that Comey's move "unilaterally and surreptitiously made unauthorized disclosures to the press of privileged communications with the president". She called Comey an "honorable individual".

Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has said that he would "absolutely" issue subpoenas for White House tapes, if it is determined they exist. Sen.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., top Democrat on the appropriations committee, specifically cited Comey's recusal comments in a statement Thursday: "Former Director Comey testified today that he expected the Attorney General to recuse himself from the Russian Federation investigation, weeks before the Attorney General made that decision himself, because of matters that could not be discussed publicly". But, she said, he was wrong to leak his notes to the public and should have given that document to her panel.