Fired FBI Director James Comey claims that President Donald Trump asked him in March to “lift the cloud” put over his administration by the ongoing investigation into his campaign’s alleged ties to Russia.
In a written statement submitted in advance of Comey’s expected testimony Thursday, the ex-FBI chief said Trump called him on March 30 to complain that the probe was hindering the White House’s work. «He described the Russia investigation as ‘a cloud’ that was impairing his ability to act on behalf of the country,» Comey’s statement says. «He asked what we could do to ‘lift the cloud.'»
The former FBI director also confirmed reports that in a February Oval Office conversation, Trump made what Comey interpreted as a request to end an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, saying the FBI chief should “let this go.”
«The President…returned to the topic of Mike Flynn, saying, ‘He is a good guy and has been through a lot,'» Comey said. «He repeated that Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong on his calls with the Russians, but had misled the Vice President. He then said, ‘I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.’ I replied only that ‘he is a good guy.'»
Comey also expressed discomfort about a Jan. 27 dinner where he said Trump made repeated suggestions that Comey’s «loyalty» would be a requirement to stay in his post.
«The President began by asking me whether I wanted to stay on as FBI Director, which I found strange because he had already told me twice in earlier conversations that he hoped I would stay, and I had assured him that I intended to. He said that lots of people wanted my job and, given the abuse I had taken during the previous year, he would understand if I wanted to walk away,» Comey wrote.
The FBI chief said he interpreted the dinner and the thrust of the conversation as «an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship.»
«The President said, ‘I need loyalty, I expect loyalty,'» Comey related, calling the exchange «very awkward» and saying he tried to defuse it by pledging «honesty.»
“That’s what I want, honest loyalty,» Comey recalled Trump replying. The ex-FBI director said that in a bid to end the discussion, he replied: “You will get that from me.”
Comey’s statement does support Trump’s claims that Comey gave repeated assurances that Trump wasn’t personally under investigation. However, the ex-FBI chief says he rebuffed the president’s attempts to have the agency clear him publicly in case the probe did eventually turn to Trump.
Comey, who was fired by Trump on May 9, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday in one of the most-highly anticipated congressional hearings in decades.
The new statement from the former FBI director could also cause headaches for top Justice Department officials. Comey reports that he raised concerns with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente about Trump’s interventions, but there was no apparent action.
Comey said that, shortly after the president’s entreaty about Flynn, he told Sessions that Trump shouldn’t be communicating with the FBI director. Comey noted that Sessions was present at the Oval Office meeting in February, but departed with others, as Trump kept Comey behind.
«I took the opportunity to implore the Attorney General to prevent any future direct communication between the President and me. I told the AG that what had just happened – him being asked to leave while the FBI Director, who reports to the AG, remained behind – was inappropriate and should never happen. He did not reply.
Comey says he reported the March 30 «cloud» conversation to Boente «immediately» after it happened.
«I…said I would await his guidance. I did not hear back from him before the President called me again two weeks later,» Comey said.
