Former FBI Director James Comey asserted Thursday that President Donald Trump fired him to interfere with his investigation of Russia香蕉视频直播檚 role in the 2016 election and its ties to the Trump campaign.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 my judgment that I was fired because of the Russia investigation,香蕉视频直播� Comey told the Senate intelligence committee in explosive testimony that threatened to undermine Trump香蕉视频直播檚 presidency.
香蕉视频直播淚 was fired in some way to change, or the endeavour was to change, the way the Russia investigation was being conducted,香蕉视频直播� Comey testified under oath.
香蕉视频直播淭hat is a very big deal, and not just because it involves me.香蕉视频直播�
Comey also accused the Trump administration of spreading 香蕉视频直播渓ies, plain and simple香蕉视频直播� about him and the FBI in the aftermath of his abrupt firing last month, declaring that the administration then 香蕉视频直播渃hose to defame me and, more importantly, the FBI香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播淚 was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, so I thought it really important to document,香蕉视频直播� Comey said. 香蕉视频直播淚 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.香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播檚 Russia investigation, as he elaborated on written testimony delivered Wednesday.
In that testimony he had already disclosed that Trump demanded his 香蕉视频直播渓oyalty香蕉视频直播� and directly pushed him to 香蕉视频直播渓ift the cloud香蕉视频直播� of investigation by declaring publicly the president was not the target of the FBI probe into his campaign香蕉视频直播檚 Russia ties.
Comey said that he declined to do so in large part because of the 香蕉视频直播渄uty to correct香蕉视频直播� 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: 香蕉视频直播淒o you believe this rises to obstruction of justice?香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 know. That香蕉视频直播檚 Bob Mueller香蕉视频直播檚 job to sort that out,香蕉视频直播� Comey responded, referring to the newly appointed special counsel who has taken over the Justice Department香蕉视频直播檚 Russia investigation.
In a startling disclosure, Comey revealed that after his firing he actually tried to spur the special counsel香蕉视频直播檚 appointment by giving one of his memos about Trump to a friend of his to release to the press.
香蕉视频直播淢y judgment was I need to get that out into the public square,香蕉视频直播� Comey said.
Trump香蕉视频直播檚 private attorney, Marc Kasowitz, seized on Comey香蕉视频直播檚 affirmation that he told Trump he was not personally under investigation.
Though Comey said he interpreted Trump香蕉视频直播檚 comments as a directive to shut down the Flynn investigation, Kasowitz also maintained in his written statement that Comey香蕉视频直播檚 testimony showed that the president 香蕉视频直播渘ever, in form or substance, directed or suggested that Mr. Comey stop investigating anyone, including suggesting that that Mr. Comey 香蕉视频直播榣et Flynn go.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
The Republican National Committee and other White House allies worked feverishly to lessen any damage from the hearing, trying to undermine Comey香蕉视频直播檚 credibility by issuing press releases and even ads pointing to a past instance where the FBI had had to clean up the director香蕉视频直播檚 testimony to Congress.
Republicans and Trump香蕉视频直播檚 own lawyer seized on Comey香蕉视频直播檚 confirmation, in his written testimony, of Trump香蕉视频直播檚 claim that Comey had told him three times the president was not directly under investigation.
Trump himself was expected to dispute Comey香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 accounts but has broadly challenged his credibility, tweeting last month Comey 香蕉视频直播渂etter hope there are no 香蕉视频直播榯apes香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 of the conversations.
香蕉视频直播淟ordy, I hope there are tapes,香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檚 firing as one media leak followed another revealing Comey香蕉视频直播檚 claims about Trump香蕉视频直播檚 inappropriate interactions with him.
Discussing the Oval Office meeting where Comey says Trump asked him to back off Flynn, Feinstein asked: 香蕉视频直播淲hy didn香蕉视频直播檛 you stop and say, 香蕉视频直播楳r. President, this is wrong,香蕉视频直播�?香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 a great question,香蕉视频直播� Comey said. 香蕉视频直播淢aybe if I were stronger I would have. I was so stunned by the conversation I just took it in.香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播檚 Oct. 28 announcement that he was re-opening the investigation of her email practices. 香蕉视频直播淚f the election were on Oct. 27, I would be your president,香蕉视频直播� Clinton said last month.
Thursday香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渕atter,香蕉视频直播� not an 香蕉视频直播渋nvestigation.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭hat concerned me because that language tracked how the campaign was talking about the FBI香蕉视频直播檚 work and that香蕉视频直播檚 concerning,香蕉视频直播� Comey said. 香蕉视频直播淲e had an investigation open at the time so that gave me a queasy feeling.香蕉视频直播�
Many Democrats still blame Comey for Clinton香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 legislative agenda on Capitol Hill and taken over Washington.
Under questioning Thursday, Comey strongly asserted the intelligence community香蕉视频直播檚 conclusion that Russia did indeed meddle in the 2016 election.
香蕉视频直播淭here should be no fuzz on this. The Russians interfered,香蕉视频直播� Comey stated firmly. 香蕉视频直播淭hat happened. It香蕉视频直播檚 about as unfake as you can possibly get.香蕉视频直播�
Trump has begrudgingly accepted the U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia interfered with the election. But he has also suggested he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 believe it, saying Russia is a 香蕉视频直播渞use香蕉视频直播� and calling the investigation into the matter a 香蕉视频直播渨itch hunt.香蕉视频直播�
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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
