Donald Trump sought loyalty, Comey offered honesty

Washington: Fired FBI director James Comey on Wednesday said that President Donald Trump asked him for a pledge of loyalty and told him to drop an inquiry into former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.

“The President began by saying Mr Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong in speaking with the Russians, but he had to let him go because he had misled the vice-president. He added that he had other concerns  about Mr Flynn, which he did not then specify,” Mr Comey said in remarks posted on the website of the Senate intelligence committee.

In explosive testimony that threatens the future of Mr Trump’s young presidency, Mr Comey gave details about an FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

But asked whether he believed the President had colluded with Russia in trying to influence the vote, which ended with Democrat Hillary Clinton’s defeat, Mr Comey said, “I don’t think I should answer in an open setting.” At the time of his May 9 sacking by Mr Trump as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr Comey said there was no investigation focused on the President.

“But that’s a question that will be answered by the investigation, I think.”

The former director held back again when asked if he had reason to doubt previous statements from Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein that she also had no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

“I just worry it leads me deeper and deeper into talking about the investigation in an open setting,” Mr Comey replied.

“I don’t want to be unfair. I’m not trying to suggest something nefarious, but I don’t want to get into the business of not as this person or that person,” he added.

Mr Comey, who was fired by Mr Trump last month, dropped the bombshell by his statement which many experts say could be seen as obstruction to justice.

According to Mr Comey, Mr Trump also made a long series of comments about the problem with leaks of classified information.

Mr Comey recounted a January 27 private dinner in the White House Green  Room with the president.

“’I need loyalty, I expect loyalty,’” Mr Comey quoted Mr Trump as saying. Mr Comey continued, “I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence.” Mr Comey states that Mr Trump asked him on several occasions to publicly  state that he was not under investigation. But Mr Comey also confirmed in his statement that he told Mr Trump he was not under investigation, as Mr Trump asserted in his letter to Comey explaining his firing.