Former FBI chief James Comey told US Congress that the Trump administration’s comments about him and the FBI were “lies plain and simple”,
Mr Comey told a Senate committee they were wrong to denigrate the agency and its leadership.
Comey testified Thursday that he orchestrated the leak of accounts of conversations with President Donald Trump because he thought it might lead to the appointment of a special prosecutor to lead the Russia investigation.
The revelation emerged in a blockbuster Senate intelligence committee hearing, one of the most significant moments yet in the saga over Russia’s role in the 2016 election, the subsequent investigation and how it led to the firing of Comey by the President in an episode that has cast a deep shadow over the administration.
President Trump’s lawyer’s statement on Comey hearing
Comey’s appearance, carried live on national television networks, streamed on mobile devices and shown at watch parties.
The former FBI chief warned in remarkable testimony that from the first time he met Trump he was worried that the President would misrepresent their conversations — prompting him to write down everything that took place in meetings he found deeply uncomfortable. He accused the White House of lying about his leadership of the FBI and defaming him and called on Trump to release any tapes he may have of their conversations to provide corroboration.
But Republicans also seized on Comey’s confirmation that he had indeed told Trump he was not personally under investigation in the Russia probe — a fact that forms the bedrock of the defense case for Trump.
He was also “confused” by the “shifting explanations” for his sacking, which came as he led a probe into any links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
“The FBI is honest. The FBI is strong. And the FBI is and always will be independent,” he said in his opening remarks.
Mr Comey was leading one of several Russia investigations before Mr Trump fired him.
US intelligence agencies believe Russia interfered in the US election and they are investigating alleged links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
But there is no known evidence of collusion and President Donald Trump has dismissed the story as “fake news”
President Donald Trump later said he never sought to impede the inquiry.
Mr Trump’s attorney, Marc Kasowitz, said in a statement Mr Comey’s testimony “finally confirmed publicly” that the president was not under investigation as part of any probe in Russian political meddling.
In the statement, Mr Trump also denied asking Mr Comey for his loyalty or to drop an investigation into fired national security adviser Michael Flynn during private meetings.
In his testimony, Mr Comey said Mr Trump had repeatedly told him he was doing a “great” job.
He also suggested he was fired to “change the way the Russia investigation was being conducted”.
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