Former FBI Director James Comey asserted Thursday that President Donald Trump fired him to interfere with his investigation of Russia害羞草研究所檚 role in the 2016 election and its ties to the Trump campaign.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 my judgment that I was fired because of the Russia investigation,害羞草研究所� Comey told the Senate intelligence committee in explosive testimony that threatened to undermine Trump害羞草研究所檚 presidency.
害羞草研究所淚 was fired in some way to change, or the endeavour was to change, the way the Russia investigation was being conducted,害羞草研究所� Comey testified under oath.
害羞草研究所淭hat is a very big deal, and not just because it involves me.害羞草研究所�
Comey also accused the Trump administration of spreading 害羞草研究所渓ies, plain and simple害羞草研究所� about him and the FBI in the aftermath of his abrupt firing last month, declaring that the administration then 害羞草研究所渃hose to defame me and, more importantly, the FBI害羞草研究所� by claiming the bureau was in disorder under his leadership.
BREAKING: Trump lawyer accuses Comey of `unauthorized disclosures' of `privileged communications' he had with the president.
害羞草研究所� The Associated Press (@AP)
And in testimony that exposed deep distrust between the president and the veteran lawman, Comey described intense discomfort about their one-on-one conversations, saying he decided he immediately needed to document the discussions in memos.
害羞草研究所淚 was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, so I thought it really important to document,害羞草研究所� Comey said. 害羞草研究所淚 knew there might come a day when I might need a record of what happened not only to defend myself but to protect the FBI.害羞草研究所�
The revelations came as Comey delivered his much anticipated first public telling of his relationship with Trump, speaking at a packed Senate intelligence committee hearing that brought Washington and parts of the country to a standstill as all eyes were glued to screens showing the testimony.
The former director immediately dove into the heart of the fraught political controversy around his firing and whether Trump interfered in the bureau害羞草研究所檚 Russia investigation, as he elaborated on written testimony delivered Wednesday.
In that testimony he had already disclosed that Trump demanded his 害羞草研究所渓oyalty害羞草研究所� and directly pushed him to 害羞草研究所渓ift the cloud害羞草研究所� of investigation by declaring publicly the president was not the target of the FBI probe into his campaign害羞草研究所檚 Russia ties.
Comey said that he declined to do so in large part because of the 害羞草研究所渄uty to correct害羞草研究所� that would be created if that situation changed.
Comey also said in his written testimony that Trump, in a strange private encounter near the grandfather clock in the Oval Office, pushed him to end his investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia asked Comey the key question: 害羞草研究所淒o you believe this rises to obstruction of justice?害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know. That害羞草研究所檚 Bob Mueller害羞草研究所檚 job to sort that out,害羞草研究所� Comey responded, referring to the newly appointed special counsel who has taken over the Justice Department害羞草研究所檚 Russia investigation.
In a startling disclosure, Comey revealed that after his firing he actually tried to spur the special counsel害羞草研究所檚 appointment by giving one of his memos about Trump to a friend of his to release to the press.
害羞草研究所淢y judgment was I need to get that out into the public square,害羞草研究所� Comey said.
Trump害羞草研究所檚 private attorney, Marc Kasowitz, seized on Comey害羞草研究所檚 affirmation that he told Trump he was not personally under investigation.
Though Comey said he interpreted Trump害羞草研究所檚 comments as a directive to shut down the Flynn investigation, Kasowitz also maintained in his written statement that Comey害羞草研究所檚 testimony showed that the president 害羞草研究所渘ever, in form or substance, directed or suggested that Mr. Comey stop investigating anyone, including suggesting that that Mr. Comey 害羞草研究所榣et Flynn go.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
The Republican National Committee and other White House allies worked feverishly to lessen any damage from the hearing, trying to undermine Comey害羞草研究所檚 credibility by issuing press releases and even ads pointing to a past instance where the FBI had had to clean up the director害羞草研究所檚 testimony to Congress.
Republicans and Trump害羞草研究所檚 own lawyer seized on Comey害羞草研究所檚 confirmation, in his written testimony, of Trump害羞草研究所檚 claim that Comey had told him three times the president was not directly under investigation.
Trump himself was expected to dispute Comey害羞草研究所檚 claims that the president demanded loyalty and asked the FBI director to drop the investigation into Flynn, according to a person close to the president害羞草研究所檚 legal team who demanded anonymity because of not being authorized to discuss legal strategy.
The president has not yet publicly denied the specifics of Comey害羞草研究所檚 accounts but has broadly challenged his credibility, tweeting last month Comey 害羞草研究所渂etter hope there are no 害羞草研究所榯apes害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 of the conversations.
害羞草研究所淟ordy, I hope there are tapes,害羞草研究所� Comey remarked at one point Thursday, suggesting such evidence would back up his account over any claims from the president.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California asked the question that many Republicans have raised in the weeks since Comey害羞草研究所檚 firing as one media leak followed another revealing Comey害羞草研究所檚 claims about Trump害羞草研究所檚 inappropriate interactions with him.
Discussing the Oval Office meeting where Comey says Trump asked him to back off Flynn, Feinstein asked: 害羞草研究所淲hy didn害羞草研究所檛 you stop and say, 害羞草研究所楳r. President, this is wrong,害羞草研究所�?害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 a great question,害羞草研究所� Comey said. 害羞草研究所淢aybe if I were stronger I would have. I was so stunned by the conversation I just took it in.害羞草研究所�
The hearing unfolded amid intense political interest, and within a remarkable political context as Comey delivered detrimental testimony about the president who fired him, a president who won election only after Comey damaged his opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the final days of the campaign.
Clinton has blamed her defeat on Comey害羞草研究所檚 Oct. 28 announcement that he was re-opening the investigation of her email practices. 害羞草研究所淚f the election were on Oct. 27, I would be your president,害羞草研究所� Clinton said last month.
Thursday害羞草研究所檚 hearing included discussion of that email investigation, as Comey disclosed that then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch instructed him to refer to the issue as a 害羞草研究所渕atter,害羞草研究所� not an 害羞草研究所渋nvestigation.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭hat concerned me because that language tracked how the campaign was talking about the FBI害羞草研究所檚 work and that害羞草研究所檚 concerning,害羞草研究所� Comey said. 害羞草研究所淲e had an investigation open at the time so that gave me a queasy feeling.害羞草研究所�
Many Democrats still blame Comey for Clinton害羞草研究所檚 loss, leading Trump to apparently believe they would applaud him for firing Comey last month.
The opposite was the case as the firing created an enormous political firestorm that has stalled Trump害羞草研究所檚 legislative agenda on Capitol Hill and taken over Washington.
Under questioning Thursday, Comey strongly asserted the intelligence community害羞草研究所檚 conclusion that Russia did indeed meddle in the 2016 election.
害羞草研究所淭here should be no fuzz on this. The Russians interfered,害羞草研究所� Comey stated firmly. 害羞草研究所淭hat happened. It害羞草研究所檚 about as unfake as you can possibly get.害羞草研究所�
Trump has begrudgingly accepted the U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia interfered with the election. But he has also suggested he doesn害羞草研究所檛 believe it, saying Russia is a 害羞草研究所渞use害羞草研究所� and calling the investigation into the matter a 害羞草研究所渨itch hunt.害羞草研究所�
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Associated Press writers Julie Bykowicz and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Eric Tucker And Erica Werner, The Associated Press
