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Friday 9 June 2017
Comey says he was fired over Russia probe, blasts ‘lies’

and not just because it in- ings that held the nation and, more importantly, the would terminate an inves-
Continued from front
volves me.” rapt some four decades FBI” by claiming the bu- tigation into Michael Flynn,
He expressed confidence At one point he practically earlier. reau was in disorder. the ousted national secu-
that the circumstances dared Trump to release Republicans mindful of He then dove into the rity adviser, he interpreted
of his firing, and Trump’s that as a directive.
overall behavior toward “I mean, this is the presi-
him, could be investigated dent of the United States,
by special counsel Robert with me alone, saying, ‘I
Mueller for possible ob- hope’ this,” he said. “I took
struction of justice. But he it as, this is what he wants
declined to offer an opin- me to do.”
ion on whether it met such Asked whether that Febru-
a threshold. ary Oval Office discussion
Trump’s private attorney, amounted to obstruction
Marc Kasowitz, seized on of justice, Comey said he
Comey’s admission that expected that to be a
he had told Trump on mul- matter for Mueller, the for-
tiple occasions that he was mer FBI director who has
not personally under inves- taken over the Justice De-
tigation and maintained partment’s investigation.
the testimony made clear “I’m sure the special coun-
that Trump “never, in form sel will work towards, to try
or substance, directed or and understand what the
suggested that Mr. Com- intention was there, and
ey stop investigating any- whether that’s an offense,”
one.” he said.
Kasowitz also jumped on In a startling disclosure,
Comey’s revelation that Fired FBI director James Comey departs an open hearing with the Senate Select Committee on Comey revealed that after
he had released details of Intelligence where he recounted a series of conversations with President Donald Trump as, on his firing he actually tried to
his private conversations Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 8, 2017. spur the special counsel’s
with the president, casting (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) appointment by giving a
the former FBI director as damning memo he had
one of the “leakers” set on any recordings of their the gravity of the moment heart of the fraught politi- written about a meeting
undermining the Trump ad- conversations, a prospect worked feverishly to less- cal controversy around his with Trump to a friend to
ministration. the president once allud- en any damage from the firing and whether Trump release to the media.
Still, there’s no doubt the ed to in a tweet. hearing. They tried to un- interfered in the bureau’s “My judgment was I need
veteran lawman made for “Lordy, I hope there are dermine Comey’s credibil- Russia investigation, as he to get that out into the
a challenging adversary. tapes,” Comey said, sug- ity by issuing press releases elaborated on written tes- public square,” Comey
“It’s my judgment that I gesting such evidence and even ads pointing to timony released a day ear- said. The February meeting
was fired because of the would back up his account a past instance where the lier. was one of several one-on-
Russia investigation,” Com- over the president’s. FBI had to clean up the di- In that testimony, Comey one encounters that Com-
ey said toward the end of Thursday’s hearing was rector’s testimony to Con- said that Trump demand- ey said made him feel such
more than two hours of tes- Comey’s first public ap- gress. ed his “loyalty” and di- intense discomfort that he
timony before the Senate pearance since his sudden In his opening statement, rectly pushed him to “lift felt compelled to docu-
intelligence committee. “I May 9 firing and it brought Comey somberly accused the cloud” of investigation ment them in memos.
was fired in some way to Washington and other the Trump administration of by declaring publicly the “I was honestly concerned
change, or the endeavor parts of the country to a spreading “lies, plain and president was not a target that he might lie about the
was to change, the way standstill as Americans sat simple” in the aftermath of of the FBI probe into his nature of our meeting, so I
the Russia investigation glued to their screens, har- his abrupt ouster, declar- campaign’s Russia ties. thought it really important
was being conducted. kening back to the Water- ing that the administra- He said that when Trump to document,” Comey
“That is a very big deal, gate congressional hear- tion “chose to defame me told him he hoped he said. q
Comey’s release of Trump memo to newspaper draws criticism

By JONATHAN LEMIRE implications of the move. terial that have infuriated ing Comey better hope porter,” Comey testified.
SADIE GURMAN Trump’s personal lawyer Trump. there are no tapes of their “I asked him to, because I
Associated Press made Comey’s secret But Comey seemed uncon- disputed conversations thought that might prompt
WASHINGTON (AP) — When gambit a central piece of cerned about that pros- about the Russia investiga- the appointment of a spe-
former FBI Director James his defense of the president pect when he acknowl- tion into election-season cial counsel.”
Comey revealed Thurs- against the fired lawman’s edged the move Thursday hacking. Comey said the The friend, who was later
day that he orchestrated testimony. before a throng of cameras president’s message con- identified as Columbia Uni-
a disclosure of damaging Attorney Marc Kasowitz and a packed Senate intel- vinced him he needed to versity law professor Daniel
details about his conversa- claimed Comey made ligence committee hearing get his account, detailed in Richman, read part of the
tions with President Donald “unauthorized disclosures” room. contemporaneous memos, memo to a reporter from
Trump, he demonstrated of privileged communica- With vivid detail, he told out quickly. The New York Times, ac-
his savvy use of media and tions. He said he would the panel when the idea “My judgment was, I need- cording to the newspaper.
his skills as a Washington leave it to the “appropriate dawned on him — “in the ed to get that out into the The paper reported Trump
operator. authorities” to determine middle of the night” — and public square. had asked Comey to drop
He also kicked up a hor- whether Comey’s plan what moved him to act. And so I asked a friend of the investigation into for-
net’s nest of questions should be investigated He said he was reacting to mine to share the content mer national security ad-
about the legal and ethical along with the leaks of ma- Trump’s cryptic tweet say- of the memo with a re- viser Michael Flynn.q