Comey’s opening statement released ahead of Senate hearing

June 7, 2017

WWAY News,

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on fired FBI Director James Comey’s prepared testimony for his scheduled appearance Thursday before the Senate Intelligence committee (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

A White House spokeswoman says she isn’t sure if President Donald Trump has read James Comey’s pre-released opening statement for his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing but says the timing of the release is “interesting.”

Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Wednesday that she hadn’t read it and wasn’t sure if the president read it while returning from a day trip to Ohio.

She says, “I do find the timing of the release a little bit interesting,” given it followed testimony by Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and the head of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers. The two men testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier in the day.

Comey’s remarks say the president asked him to pledge loyalty and to abandon the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

2:30 p.m.

Fired FBI Director James Comey says Donald Trump told him the Russia investigation was creating a “cloud” over his presidency.

And Comey says the president asked him what they could do to “lift the cloud.”

This was in a phone call on March 30 – according to written testimony Comey submitted ahead of an appearance Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Comey also says Trump told him that he “had nothing to do with Russia” and “had not been involved with hookers in Russia.”

Comey says he told the president that the bureau was investigating the matter as quickly as possible.

Later, Trump fired Comey.

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2:12 p.m.

Former FBI Director James Comey says he informed Donald Trump in early January that he was not personally under investigation in the bureau’s Russia counter-intelligence investigation.

Trump was then president-elect. Comey says that the decision to give Trump that assurance came after consultation with top bureau officials.

Comey says he documented their meeting afterward by typing up notes on a laptop in an FBI vehicle outside Trump Tower “the moment I walked out of the meeting.”

That revelation and others are contained in written testimony Comey submitted Wednesday ahead of his appearance Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

They confirm some of what has already been reported publicly in the media. But the information has not previously come directly and publicly from Comey.

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2:11 p.m.

Former FBI Director James Comey says it was “very concerning” when President Donald Trump asked him to back off an investigation of former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.

Comey describes the exchange in dramatic detail in written testimony ahead of an appearance Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

He says Trump asked him to stay behind in the Oval Office after a meeting with a larger group, and as they stood near a grandfather clock, Trump described Flynn as a good guy who’d been through a lot.

Then the president said to Comey: “I hope you can let this go.”

Comey said that he immediately prepared a memo documenting the February exchange. And the investigation continued.

Trump fired Comey in May.

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2:10 p.m.

Former FBI Director James Comey will say in his opening statement to a congressional hearing that President Donald Trump told him, “I need loyalty. I expect loyalty” during a January dinner.

Comey is set to testify before the Senate Intelligence committee Thursday. His prepared statement was released Wednesday afternoon.

In the statement, Comey says he and Trump dined together privately in January. During the meal, he says Trump asked him if he wanted to remain on as FBI director. Comey says he replied that he wanted to serve out his ten-year term and “was not on anybody’s side politically.”

Comey says Trump then made his statement about loyalty.

Trump abruptly fired Comey last month.