According to a source cited by the Wall Street Journal, former FBI director James Comey is slated to testify before a Senate committee that President Trump asked him to back off the investigation into Mike Flynn. Now media outlets are speculating that this would be Comey's revenge for being fired. Fox News provides details about Comey's potential testimony that was gleaned from an official memo obtained by the network:
The memo reportedly said that Trump said to Comey that, “I hope you can let this go.” The president was reportedly referring Comey’s FBI’s investigation into Flynn.
Flynn was forced to resign Feb. 13, the day before the conversation between Trump and Comey depicted in the memo.
A Comey associate, who wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the testimony, told The Associated Press that Robert Mueller III, who was appointed earlier this month by the Department of Justice to lead the government’s inquiry, is allowing Comey to make certain statements.
A spokesman for Mueller, a former FBI director, declined to comment. Mueller’s separate probe could conceivably look at the circumstances surrounding Comey’s firing.
Congress is currently out of session. It resumes next Tuesday. No date for testimony in front of the intelligence committee has been set.
The House panel pursuing its own investigation of the Trump campaign and possible Russia ties has also sought information from Comey, asking the FBI to turn over documents related to his interactions with both the White House and the Justice Department.
Trump has repeatedly dismissed allegations that his campaign collaborated with Russia ahead of the presidential election. Early Wednesday morning, the president tweeted “Witch Hunt!” in reference to testimony by Comey and former CIA director John Brennan before Congress on the topic.
But later in the day, the White House showed it was beginning to offload the Russia crisis to Trump’s longtime personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz.
This could, of course, simply just be more contrived media meant to cast doubt on the Trump administration.
