Comey says Trump pressured him to say he was not under investigation
In a previously undisclosed phone call, Trump reportedly asked Comey what could be done to "lift the cloud" of the investigation hanging over his head.
Former FBI Director James Comey is set to testify on Thursday, and he plans to tell members of the Senate that Donald Trump pressured him to assure the president was not personally under investigation in the department’s inquiries into the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
According to remarks that were written by Comey published Wednesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a previously undisclosed phone call, Trump had asked Comey what could be done to “lift the cloud” of the investigation hanging over his head.
According to Comey, the last time he had spoken with Trump was on April 11, when he called to ask again when Comey would be announcing that he personally was not under investigation. Comey replied that he had passed on the president’s request to his bosses in the Department of Justice but had not heard back.
“He replied that ‘the cloud’ was getting in the way of his ability to do his job,” Comey recalled.
“Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal; we had that thing, you know,” Trump also said, according to Comey, though Comey said that he did not reply or ask what “that thing” referred to.
“That was the last time I spoke with President Trump,” Comey said.
