Former FBI Director James Comey provided a statement that was released on Wednesday, just a day before he is set to testify in front of Congress, that described his meeting with Donald Trump in detail.
Comey’s seven-page statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee gave confirmation that Trump asked him to “let go” of the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
To add to that, Comey also said that Trump asked him to lift the cloud” of the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the election and alleged ties between Russia and Trump’s campaign
Comey also stated that Trump asked him for his loyalty during a dinner in January.
“I need loyalty. I expect loyalty,” Trump said, according to Comey.
At first Comey didn’t respond to the president’s request, but Trump asked again later in the dinner. In response Comey told that Trump would get “honesty loyalty” from him.
“The term — honesty loyalty — had helped end a very awkward conversation and my explanations had made clear what he should expect,” Comey says in his testimony.
Just 10 days after Comey publicly announced that the FBI was investigation possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia Trump called him at the FBI, asking him to “lift the cloud,” referring to the investigation.
“I responded that we were investigating the matter as quickly as we could, and that there would be great benefit, if we didn’t find anything, to our having done the work well,” Comey wrote. “He agreed, but then re-emphasized the problems this was causing him.”
In the statement, Comey confessed Trump’s claim to be true, that, when asked by the president, he assured him personally he was not under investigation.
“I did not tell the president that the FBI and the Department of Justice had been reluctant to make public statements that we did not have an open case on President Trump for a number of reasons, most importantly because it would create a duty to correct, should that change,” Comey said in the statement.
CoMey’s last interaction with Trump was on April 11, where the president called on Comey to follow up on that request.
“Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal; we had that thing you know,” Comey reported the president saying.
“I did not reply or ask him what he meant by ‘that thing,'” Comey wrote.
Comey is set to testify in front of Congress on Thursday.
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