Comey says he does not know what 'that thing' was

Richard Burr, whether his decision last July to publicly announce the results of the FBI's investigation into Clinton's emails was due to a widely criticized meeting on an airport tarmac the previous month between Lynch and former President Bill Clinton. He said he decided he had to "protect the credibility of the investigation". McCain asked Comey why he was willing to come to a conclusion in the case of Hillary Clinton's emails, but not the Russian Federation investigation.

McCain acted as if he didn't hear what Comey had just told him, asking incredulously whether an investigation into "any involvement of Secretary Clinton or any of her associates is completed". "That was one of the bricks in the load that led me to conclude I have to step away from the department if we're to close this case credibly".

But Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said there was no decision within the campaign to use the word "matter" opposed to investigation.

McCain accused Comey of applying a double standard by closing the Clinton investigation while leaving the Trump inquiry open.

"That gave me a queasy feeling", Comey said, adding that Lynch's directive "confused me and concerned" him.

Comey said he didn't push back.

In the transcript, based on his now-famous memos, Comey described - among other things - how Trump asked him to "let this go", apparently referring to the investigation into former Defense Secretary Michael Flynn's contact with a Russian diplomat.

But Clinton is not understood to be in any way connected to the multiple ongoing investigations into Russia's meddling in the election; the Trump campaign certainly is, Comey confirmed again on Thursday.

McCain presented another line of attack against Comey, asking the former Federal Bureau of Investigation chief about his claim that in a one-on-one meeting with Trump, the president told Comey "we had that thing, you know". He needs to be called on this. A former spokeswoman for Lynch vented her anger on Twitter.