WASHINGTON DC, United States (Reuters) – In the most eagerly anticipated United States congressional hearing in years, former Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey told lawmakers that no one in the White House including US President Donald Trump asked him to drop the investigation into Russian interference in the US election.
During more than two hours of testimony, Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee he believed Trump had directed him in February to drop an FBI probe into the Republican president’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn as part of the broader Russia investigation.
Comey would not say whether he thought the president sought to obstruct justice, but added it would be up to special counsel Robert Mueller, who is now investigating the Russia allegations, “to sort that out.”
Sitting alone at a small table facing a bank of senators who fired question after question, Comey gave short, deliberative answers.
Comey did not make major new revelations about any links between Trump or his associates and Russia, an issue that has dogged the president’s first months in office and distracted from his policy goals such as overhauling the US healthcare system and making tax cuts.
Nevertheless, the Russia matter likely will continue to overshadow Trump’s presidency, especially as the FBI probe has already ensnared not only Flynn but also Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner.