The prepared remarks for former FBI Director Comey have apparently been released.
And there is a feeding frenzy in the media:
James Comey's testimony for Thursday's hearing is out https://t.co/RJi4JG3cmq pic.twitter.com/1p4UkXLcGh
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) June 7, 2017
BREAKING: Comey says in written testimony that Trump asked him at January 27 dinner if he wanted to stay on as FBI director pic.twitter.com/pJ5mu8slhe
— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) June 7, 2017
Funny how it was just reported that Jeff Sessions offered to resign too huh? I wonder if that conversation was similar…
Comey says that on 3/30, he told Trump that the FBI was not personally investigating him (not what Trump said in his letter). pic.twitter.com/9Q3nFsTblu
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 7, 2017
This seriously sounds like a scene out of a mob movie lol:
Near the end of our dinner, the President returned to the subject of my job, saying he was very glad I wanted to stay, adding that he had heard great things 4 about me from Jim Mattis, Jeff Sessions, and many others. He then said, “I need loyalty.” I replied, “You will always get honesty from me.” He paused and then said, “That’s what I want, honest loyalty.” I paused, and then said, “You will get that from me.” As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase “honest loyalty” differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further. The term – honest loyalty – had helped end a very awkward conversation and my explanations had made clear what he should expect.
From COMEY prepared statement: "the President said, 'I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.'"
More here: https://t.co/gaWh7ArbaP pic.twitter.com/NZ5qcY9beH
— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) June 7, 2017
Here he explains why he didn’t think it was obstruction of justice at the time.
In prepared testimony, Comey says he took Trump's "let this go" comment to mean Flynn angle & not larger Russia probe pic.twitter.com/zDXVBDqZ9d
— Kara Rowland (@kararowland) June 7, 2017
This is what everyone wants to know – Russian hookers!!!
On the morning of March 30, the President called me at the FBI. He described the Russia investigation as “a cloud” that was impairing his ability to act on behalf of the country. He said he had nothing to do with Russia, had not been involved with hookers in Russia, and had always assumed he was being recorded when in Russia. He asked what we could do to “lift the cloud.” I responded that we were investigating the matter as quickly as we could, and that there would be great benefit, if we didn’t find anything, to our having done the work well. He agreed, but then re-emphasized the problems this was causing him.
He always assumed he was being recorded, but was totally careless when Russians visited the Oval Office.
Key paragraph from Comey's prepared testimony in which Trump says of Flynn: "I hope you can let this go." pic.twitter.com/tjMCjw7XNe
— Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) June 7, 2017
UPDATE:
This is reassuring – the president talks to the FBI director and he doesn’t have a damn clue what he’s referring to:
He said he would do that and added, “Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal; we had that thing you know.” I did not reply or ask him what he meant by “that thing.” I said only that the way to handle it was to have the White House Counsel call the Acting Deputy Attorney General. He said that was what he would do and the call ended. That was the last time I spoke with President Trump.
What is “the thing”?!? Is it the orb of Saudi Arabia?! Is it covfefe?!?
AND THIS IS INTERESTING:
The President went on to say that if there were some “satellite” associates of his who did something wrong, it would be good to find that out, but that he hadn’t done anything wrong and hoped I would find a way to get it out that we weren’t investigating him.
Is he admitting he knows that some “satellite” associates did something wrong? And did Comey use that admission in his investigation?!