Former FBI Director James Comey is scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday regarding his private conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump before he was relieved of his post last month. "I know I was sacked because of something about the way I was conducting the Russian Federation investigation was in some way putting pressure on him, in some way irritating him, and he chose to fire me because of that".
The president "never told Comey, 'I need loyalty, I expect loyalty, ' in form or substance", Kasowitz said in a statement, rebutting Comey's testimony that Trump appeared to be trying to create a patronage relationship with the Federal Bureau of Investigation director.
Trump, in a speech across town, told supporters their movement was "under siege" and vowed to fight on. But he challenged Comey's account of a private dinner he had with the president on January 27, during Trump's first full week in the White House. "I mean, this is a president of the United States with me alone saying, 'I hope this.' I took it as, this is what he wants me to do".
Comey said that as of his dismissal on May 9, Trump was not personally under investigation.
A central, and unresolved, question from the hearing revolves around whether President Donald Trump was trying to derail the Russian Federation investigation by pressuring, and ultimately firing, the man in charge. Comey's questioner, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) nodded and smiled receptively.
Comey said, "The administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the Federal Bureau of Investigation by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led".
"Those were lies plain and simple", Comey said, firing a shot of tension through hearing room 216 of the Senate's Hart building, which stood silent except for the shutter clicks of a phalanx of photographers, there to capture this moment of pure political theater.
Thursday's hearing started with a call for unity of objective. "We will not back down from doing what is right".
Under questioning Thursday, Comey strongly asserted the intelligence community's conclusion that Russian Federation did indeed meddle in the 2016 election.
"Not by guns or missiles, but by foreign operatives seeking to hijack our most important democratic process - our presidential election".
Comey accused Trump of lying in multiple instances in the hearing.
Trump's Lawyer Blasts Comey For 'Leaks'
Comey said his distrust of Trump prompted him to take meticulous notes immediately after each of their nine discussions this year. Comey also said he'd taken careful notes of his meetings because he anxious the president might misrepresent them.
Consistent with that statement, the President never, in form or substance, directed or suggested that Mr. Comey stop investigating anyone, including suggesting that that Mr. Comey "let Flynn go".
Comey said Trump repeatedly told him he was doing a good job, "so it confused me when I saw on television that he actually fired me because of the Russian Federation investigation".
"Although Mr. Comey testified he only leaked the memos in response to a tweet, the public record reveals that the New York Times was quoting from these memos the day before the referenced tweet". "We will leave it [to] the appropriate authorities to determine whether this leaks [sic] should be investigated along with all those others being investigated". "Where is the concern that Trump has that has put him on defense for these months?" The night before, Ryan said on MSNBC that it was "obviously" inappropriate for Trump to ask Comey for his loyalty over a private dinner at the White House.
"I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning", Comey told the committee.
Contrary to Comey's perspective of the nature of his discussions with Trump that he explained Thursday, the lawyers said that Trump never requested Comey's undying loyalty.
'There's been so much media hype, it's good to actually hear this from the source, ' said Sadie Cornelius, 33.
Democrats have been quick to draw parallels with the Watergate scandal, when president Richard Nixon, facing impeachment for obstruction of justice, was forced to resign in 1973.
But Kasowitz's claim that this proves Comey leaked classified information is flawed.
As he said yesterday, the President feels completely vindicated and is eager to continue moving forward with his agenda with this public cloud removed.
Republicans and Trump's own lawyer seized on Comey's confirmation, in his written testimony, of Trump's claim that Comey had told him three times the president was not directly under investigation.
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