"The FBI leadership team agreed with me that it was important not to infect the investigative team with the President's request, which we did not intend to abide", Comey wrote.
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he is tapping former Justice Department official Christopher Wray to serve as his new Federal Bureau of Investigation director, on the eve of critical testimony by his ousted predecessor.
If the president has not yet taken seriously the separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution, or the document itself, he's about to go to school. It is certain to heighten the drama surrounding Russia's meddling in the USA democratic process.
- Trump invites Comey to dinner which turns out to be a private one-on-one affair.
In later conversations, Comey writes that Trump describes the Russian Federation investigation as "a cloud", and asked what he could do to "lift the cloud".
That was five weeks before Trump fired Comey, and the former director will nearly certainly be asked whether an investigation was subsequently opened during that time. "I expect loyalty" during a January 27 dinner.
Comey, a skilled raconteur who generally tilts in favor of openness, is well-accustomed to the spotlight and in particular to sensational congressional hearings, including one 10 years ago in which he revealed a dramatic hospital room clash with Bush administration officials. "That concerned me greatly, given the FBI's traditionally independent status in the executive branch". Trump had, according to the account, said, "I need loyalty".
"The president said, 'I need loyalty, I expect loyalty, ' " Comey recounted about one White House meeting. He said he again told Trump he was not being personally investigated. "The key question here is whether the President acted with corrupt intent and, to determine what his intent was, we have to look at all the facts and circumstances surrounding the case".
"I did not understand the president to be talking about the broader investigation into Russian Federation or possible links to his campaign", he says.
Trump started the day by announcing his selection of Wray, a former assistant attorney general under Bush and personal lawyer for Christie, to succeed Comey as Federal Bureau of Investigation director.
Trump defends tweeting as valuable tool
Yet, yesterday, two spokespersons minimized the importance of the President's tweets. "I think it's frankly refreshing".So. What the creator loves about this bot is that considering that it is simply modifying the format, it is truly neutral.
- Comey later asks Sessions to stop any future direct communications between himself and the president, adding he didn't think it appropriate that Sessions was asked to leave the briefing. He is a good guy.
"He then said, 'I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go".
"Congressman, let me interject here", Burnett cut in to read Comey's official statement.
Comey said he replied that he wanted to serve out his ten-year term and "was not on anybody's side politically".
In two subsequent phone calls, on March 30 and April 11, Mr. Comey says Mr. Trump asked him to make public that Mr. Trump was not personally under investigation.
Schiff said he had spoken to Rogers after the Senate testimony to express that he felt the testimony was unacceptable.
Comey said that was his last conversation with Trump.
"After discussing the matter, we chose to keep it very closely held, resolving to figure out what to do with it down the road as our investigation progressed", he said.
While under no illusions that it would overshadow Comey's coming testimony, Trump and his advisers were elated by the generally positive response to Wray. However, Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said that while Trump's dealings with Comey were inappropriate, "We do not indict people for being boorish or clueless".
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