Former FBI Director James Comey said on Wednesday that US&nbsp;President Donald Trump asked him to drop an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn as part of a probe into Russia&#39;s alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

In written testimony released the day before he appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said Trump told him at a meeting in the White House in February: &quot;I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.&quot;

The testimony puts more pressure on Trump, a Republican, whose presidency has been overshadowed by allegations that Moscow helped him win last year&#39;s election.

Some legal experts said Comey&rsquo;s testimony could strengthen any impeachment case built on obstruction of justice, but US&nbsp;markets shrugged off the news from the testimony for lack of any major disclosures.

To build a criminal obstruction of justice case, federal law requires prosecutors to show that a person acted with &quot;corrupt&quot; intent. It does not matter whether the person succeeds in impeding an investigation.

While a sitting president is very unlikely to face criminal prosecution, obstruction of justice could form the basis for impeachment.

Comey said he had told Trump on three occasions he was not being investigated, confirming an earlier account from the president.

Trump, who spent part of Wednesday in Ohio talking about the need to fix the nation&#39;s crumbling infrastructure, ignored reporters&rsquo; shouted questions about Comey. On returning to the Oval Office, Trump went into a meeting with top advisers, including chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Later, his outside counsel released a statement saying Trump felt &quot;completely and totally vindicated&quot; by Comey&#39;s account.

&quot;The president is pleased that Mr. Comey has finally publicly confirmed his private reports that the president was not under investigation in any Russian probe,&quot; Marc Kasowitz, Trump&#39;s attorney, said in a statement.

&nbsp;

&#39;AWKWARD SILENCE&#39;

Several congressional committees, as well as the FBI and a special counsel, are investigating whether Russia tried to tilt last November&#39;s election in Trump&#39;s favour, using means such as hacking into the emails of senior Democrats. Trump and the Kremlin have separately denied any collusion.

Trump abruptly fired Comey, who was leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation&#39;s probe, on May 9.

Comey painted a vivid picture for senators of awkward encounters with Trump in seven pages of testimony.

Comey described a private dinner in the Green Room of the White House on Jan. 26, where Trump asked him whether he wanted to stay on as FBI director, telling him: &quot;I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.&quot;

&quot;I didn&rsquo;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,&quot; Comey said in his testimony, explaining he became concerned that Trump was trying to create &quot;some sort of patronage relationship&quot;.

On February&nbsp;14, after an Oval Office briefing on counterterrorism, Trump asked Comey to stay behind, dismissing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who lingered, and waving off Priebus, who peeked through the door.

&quot;When the door by the grandfather clock closed, and we were alone, the president began by saying, &#39;I want to talk about Mike Flynn,&#39;&quot; Comey said in his testimony.

Trump had fired Flynn the previous day in a controversy over contacts between the retired general and the Russian ambassador to the United States. The FBI has been investigating Flynn as it looks into allegations of links between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Comey quoted Trump as telling him: &quot;I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.&quot;

On March 30, Trump phoned Comey and asked what &quot;we could do to lift the cloud&quot; of the FBI&#39;s Russia investigation.

&quot;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,&quot; said Comey, who had briefed Trump on &quot;salacious material&quot; that had arisen in a counter-intelligence investigation.

Michael Cohen, a lawyer for Trump, said in a statement that the uncorroborated dossier of compromising material that Russian operatives allegedly collected on Trump has been &quot;debunked&quot;.

&quot;Comey&rsquo;s statement released today needs to be carefully scrutinised as his testimony claims the president was concerned about the dossier,&quot; said Cohen.

Cohen, along with Flynn, has been subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee, which is also conducting a Russia probe.

&nbsp;

LEGAL FALLOUT?

Some legal experts said Comey&rsquo;s written statement could be used to show that Trump engaged in obstruction of justice.

&ldquo;It shows the president was doing everything he could to shut down the Flynn investigation,&rdquo; said Andrew Wright, a professor of criminal law at Savannah Law School.

Bruce Green, a professor of law at Fordham University School of Law, said it would be difficult, however, to show that Trump intended to obstruct justice. Trump could say he was merely vouching for Flynn&#39;s character and voicing concerns about how the probe was interfering with his ability to function effectively as president, Green said.

Democrats jumped on the testimony, expressing concern that Trump had inappropriately meddled with the probe.

&quot;It&#39;s certainly very possible that this is evidence, in combination with other actions by the president, that could amount to obstruction. It&#39;s certainly an effort to interfere in the investigation,&quot; the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam Schiff, told CNN.

Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, asked about Trump&#39;s request for loyalty from Comey, said it was &quot;very, very critical&quot; that FBI directors remain &quot;independent&quot;.

But Republican Senator Richard Burr, who heads the Senate intelligence panel, said he did not take issue with Trump&#39;s request.

&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s wrong to ask for loyalty from anybody in an administration,&quot; Burr said.

(Reuters)

While a sitting president is very unlikely to face criminal prosecution, obstruction of justice could form the basis for impeachment

Former FBI Director James Comey said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump asked him to drop an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn as part of a probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election. In written testimony released the day before he appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said Trump told him at a meeting in the White House in February: "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go." The testimony puts more pressure on Trump, a Republican, whose presidency has been overshadowed by allegations that Moscow helped him win last year's election. Some legal experts said Comey’s testimony could strengthen any impeachment case built on obstruction of justice, but US markets shrugged off the news from the testimony for lack of any major disclosures. To build a criminal obstruction of justice case, federal law requires prosecutors to show that a person acted with "corrupt" intent. It does not matter whether the person succeeds in impeding an investigation. While a sitting president is very unlikely to face criminal prosecution, obstruction of justice could form the basis for impeachment. Comey said he had told Trump on three occasions he was not being investigated, confirming an earlier account from the president. Trump, who spent part of Wednesday in Ohio talking about the need to fix the nation's crumbling infrastructure, ignored reporters’ shouted questions about Comey. On returning to the Oval Office, Trump went into a meeting with top advisers, including chief of staff Reince Priebus. Later, his outside counsel released a statement saying Trump felt "completely and totally vindicated" by Comey's account. "The president is pleased that Mr. Comey has finally publicly confirmed his private reports that the president was not under investigation in any Russian probe," Marc Kasowitz, Trump's attorney, said in a statement. 'AWKWARD SILENCE' Several congressional committees, as well as the FBI and a special counsel, are investigating whether Russia tried to tilt last November's election in Trump's favour, using means such as hacking into the emails of senior Democrats. Trump and the Kremlin have separately denied any collusion. Trump abruptly fired Comey, who was leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation's probe, on May 9. Comey painted a vivid picture for senators of awkward encounters with Trump in seven pages of testimony. Comey described a private dinner in the Green Room of the White House on Jan. 26, where Trump asked him whether he wanted to stay on as FBI director, telling him: "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty." "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," Comey said in his testimony, explaining he became concerned that Trump was trying to create "some sort of patronage relationship". On February 14, after an Oval Office briefing on counterterrorism, Trump asked Comey to stay behind, dismissing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who lingered, and waving off Priebus, who peeked through the door. "When the door by the grandfather clock closed, and we were alone, the president began by saying, 'I want to talk about Mike Flynn,'" Comey said in his testimony. Trump had fired Flynn the previous day in a controversy over contacts between the retired general and the Russian ambassador to the United States. The FBI has been investigating Flynn as it looks into allegations of links between Russia and the Trump campaign. Comey quoted Trump as telling him: "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go." On March 30, Trump phoned Comey and asked what "we could do to lift the cloud" of the FBI's Russia investigation. "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," said Comey, who had briefed Trump on "salacious material" that had arisen in a counter-intelligence investigation. Michael Cohen, a lawyer for Trump, said in a statement that the uncorroborated dossier of compromising material that Russian operatives allegedly collected on Trump has been "debunked". "Comey’s statement released today needs to be carefully scrutinised as his testimony claims the president was concerned about the dossier," said Cohen. Cohen, along with Flynn, has been subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee, which is also conducting a Russia probe. LEGAL FALLOUT? Some legal experts said Comey’s written statement could be used to show that Trump engaged in obstruction of justice. “It shows the president was doing everything he could to shut down the Flynn investigation,” said Andrew Wright, a professor of criminal law at Savannah Law School. Bruce Green, a professor of law at Fordham University School of Law, said it would be difficult, however, to show that Trump intended to obstruct justice. Trump could say he was merely vouching for Flynn's character and voicing concerns about how the probe was interfering with his ability to function effectively as president, Green said. Democrats jumped on the testimony, expressing concern that Trump had inappropriately meddled with the probe. "It's certainly very possible that this is evidence, in combination with other actions by the president, that could amount to obstruction. It's certainly an effort to interfere in the investigation," the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam Schiff, told CNN. Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, asked about Trump's request for loyalty from Comey, said it was "very, very critical" that FBI directors remain "independent". But Republican Senator Richard Burr, who heads the Senate intelligence panel, said he did not take issue with Trump's request. "I don't think it's wrong to ask for loyalty from anybody in an administration," Burr said. (Reuters)

Ex-FBI chief Comey tells US senators Trump pressured him on Russia probe

James Comey said on Thursday he was disturbed by President Donald Trump&#39;s bid to get him to drop a probe into the former national security advisor, but the former FBI director would not say whether he thought the president sought to obstruct justice.

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Former FBI Director James Comey faces US Senate Panel (WION)
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Comey told US&nbsp;lawmakers in one of the most widely anticipated US&nbsp;congressional hearing in years that the Trump administration had told lies and defamed him and the FBI when the president fired him on May 9.

In written testimony released on Wednesday, Comey said Trump had asked him in February to drop an FBI investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn as part of the probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election.

&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning,&quot; Comey told lawmakers.

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Comey says Trump asked him for loyalty, which he took to mean Trump wanted something in exchange for staying in job<a href="https://t.co/wTqYk0mA2P">pic.twitter.com/wTqYk0mA2P</a>
&mdash; MissAnthrope (@LyssAnthrope) <a href="https://twitter.com/LyssAnthrope/status/872832606588596226">June 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The hearing could have significant repercussions for Trump&#39;s presidency as special counsel Robert Mueller and several congressional committees investigate alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with this.

Russia has denied such interference and the White House has denied any collusion.

Trump triggered a political firestorm when he dismissed Comey.

The former FBI head said Trump&#39;s administration had defamed him in comments made after his firing.

&quot;Although the law required no reason at all to fire the FBI director, the administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI by saying that the organisation was in disarray, that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader,&quot; Comey said.

&quot;Those were lies, plain and simple,&quot; he said.

The Russia issue has dogged Trump&#39;s first months in office, with critics saying that any efforts by him to hinder the FBI probe could amount to obstruction of justice.

Some legal experts said Comey&#39;s testimony could strengthen any impeachment case in Congress to remove Trump from office built on an allegation of obstruction of justice.

Comey testified that he kept notes after meeting with Trump because &quot;I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, and so I thought it really important to document.&quot;

The White House has given shifting explanations on why Trump fired Comey. Trump has called Comey a &quot;showboat&quot; and a &quot;grandstander&quot; and said he was thinking of &quot;this Russia thing&quot; in dismissing him.

(Reuters)

The Russia issue has dogged Trump's first months, with critics saying that efforts by him to hinder the FBI probe could amount to obstruction of justice

James Comey said on Thursday he was disturbed by President Donald Trump's bid to get him to drop a probe into the former national security advisor, but the former FBI director would not say whether he thought the president sought to obstruct justice. Former FBI Director James Comey faces US Senate Panel (WION) × Comey told US lawmakers in one of the most widely anticipated US congressional hearing in years that the Trump administration had told lies and defamed him and the FBI when the president fired him on May 9. In written testimony released on Wednesday, Comey said Trump had asked him in February to drop an FBI investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn as part of the probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. "I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning," Comey told lawmakers. Comey says Trump asked him for loyalty, which he took to mean Trump wanted something in exchange for staying in jobpic.twitter.com/wTqYk0mA2P — MissAnthrope (@LyssAnthrope) June 8, 2017 × The hearing could have significant repercussions for Trump's presidency as special counsel Robert Mueller and several congressional committees investigate alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump's campaign colluded with this. Russia has denied such interference and the White House has denied any collusion. Trump triggered a political firestorm when he dismissed Comey. The former FBI head said Trump's administration had defamed him in comments made after his firing. "Although the law required no reason at all to fire the FBI director, the administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI by saying that the organisation was in disarray, that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader," Comey said. "Those were lies, plain and simple," he said. The Russia issue has dogged Trump's first months in office, with critics saying that any efforts by him to hinder the FBI probe could amount to obstruction of justice. Some legal experts said Comey's testimony could strengthen any impeachment case in Congress to remove Trump from office built on an allegation of obstruction of justice. Comey testified that he kept notes after meeting with Trump because "I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, and so I thought it really important to document." The White House has given shifting explanations on why Trump fired Comey. Trump has called Comey a "showboat" and a "grandstander" and said he was thinking of "this Russia thing" in dismissing him. (Reuters)

FBI ex-head Comey accuses Trump administration of defaming him, telling 'lies'

President Donald Trump asked two top US intelligence officials in March to help push back against the FBI investigation into his campaign&#39;s possible links with Russia, The Washington Post reported Monday.

In the newest report suggesting the White House sought to tamp down the Russia probe, the Post said Trump urged National Security Agency chief Michael Rogers and to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to publicly deny any evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia during last year&#39;s presidential election.

Citing current and former intelligence officials, the Post said both Rogers and Coats, who was appointed by Trump, did not comply with his request.

The president made the request after then FBI director James Comey revealed that the agency had been investigating Russian interference into the election since July 2016.

Last week, US media reported that Trump had pressed Comey himself in meetings and phone calls to pull back on the investigation. The White House has denied that Trump pressured Comey in any way.

But the FBI director, who Trump fired two weeks ago, wrote detailed memos on his discussions with the president that were cited in the media reports.

In February, Trump asked several senior congressmen and intelligence officials to contact journalists and tell them there was no evidence to support the allegations of campaign links to Russia.

The FBI investigation into potential collusion has 100 agents, and is looking at several angles regarding Trump and Russia.&nbsp;

During the 2016 US election, Trump loyalist and long-time advisor&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ally-says-he-worked-with-assange-pre-election-to-spread-clinton-emails-in-abusive-twitter-tirade-13089" target="_blank">Roger Stone</a> claimed to have &quot;a perfectly legal back channel&quot; with&nbsp;WikiLeaks&#39; Julian Assange, and also had public contact over Twitter with Guccifer 2.0, who American intelligence say is the Russian hacker who hacked into Clinton&#39;s emails.&nbsp;

Stone has denied that Assange works for the Russians. Also,&nbsp;there is nothing necessarily illegal about his contact with Guccifer 2.0, but an FBI investigation is ongoing into Stone&#39;s actions during the election, as well as other Trump election staff, like Carter Page and Paul Manafort.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump urged National Security Agency chief and Director of National Intelligence to publicly deny any link between his campaign and Russia

President Donald Trump asked two top US intelligence officials in March to help push back against the FBI investigation into his campaign's possible links with Russia, The Washington Post reported Monday. In the newest report suggesting the White House sought to tamp down the Russia probe, the Post said Trump urged National Security Agency chief Michael Rogers and to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to publicly deny any evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia during last year's presidential election. Citing current and former intelligence officials, the Post said both Rogers and Coats, who was appointed by Trump, did not comply with his request. The president made the request after then FBI director James Comey revealed that the agency had been investigating Russian interference into the election since July 2016. Last week, US media reported that Trump had pressed Comey himself in meetings and phone calls to pull back on the investigation. The White House has denied that Trump pressured Comey in any way. But the FBI director, who Trump fired two weeks ago, wrote detailed memos on his discussions with the president that were cited in the media reports. In February, Trump asked several senior congressmen and intelligence officials to contact journalists and tell them there was no evidence to support the allegations of campaign links to Russia. The FBI investigation into potential collusion has 100 agents, and is looking at several angles regarding Trump and Russia. During the 2016 US election, Trump loyalist and long-time advisor Roger Stone claimed to have "a perfectly legal back channel" with WikiLeaks' Julian Assange, and also had public contact over Twitter with Guccifer 2.0, who American intelligence say is the Russian hacker who hacked into Clinton's emails. Stone has denied that Assange works for the Russians. Also, there is nothing necessarily illegal about his contact with Guccifer 2.0, but an FBI investigation is ongoing into Stone's actions during the election, as well as other Trump election staff, like Carter Page and Paul Manafort. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump asked top two intelligence officials to deny Russia collusion: Reports

James Comey, the former FBI chief whose firing by President Donald Trump has triggered uproar, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday.

&quot;I hope that former Director Comey&#39;s testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the president,&quot; the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said in a statement.

The hearing would be scheduled after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, according to the statement.

(AFP)

Comey has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday.

James Comey, the former FBI chief whose firing by President Donald Trump has triggered uproar, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday. "I hope that former Director Comey's testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the president," the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said in a statement. The hearing would be scheduled after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, according to the statement. (AFP)

Sacked FBI director Comey to testify publicly on Russian interference in 2016 elections

Former Senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman has emerged as the front-runner to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Politico and CNN reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

Lieberman, who President Donald Trump interviewed on Wednesday, was the vice presidential running mate when Democrat Al Gore ran for the White House in 2000. A senior administration official told Reuters on Wednesday that Lieberman was one of the leading candidates to replace fired FBI chief James Comey.

(Reuters)

A senior administration official told Reuters on Wednesday that Lieberman was one of the leading candidates to replace fired FBI chief James Comey

Former Senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman has emerged as the front-runner to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Politico and CNN reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources. Lieberman, who President Donald Trump interviewed on Wednesday, was the vice presidential running mate when Democrat Al Gore ran for the White House in 2000. A senior administration official told Reuters on Wednesday that Lieberman was one of the leading candidates to replace fired FBI chief James Comey. (Reuters)

Former senator Lieberman is front-runner for FBI post: Politico, CNN

The Trump administration&#39;s search for a new FBI director hit roadblocks on Tuesday when two high-profile potential candidates, a moderate judge and a conservative senator, signalled they did not want the job.

Advisers to Judge Merrick Garland and US Senator John Cornyn of Texas told Reuters they discouraged them from leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cautioning that they would be leaving important, secure jobs for one fraught with politics and controversy.

The advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the new FBI director would have little job security and heightened scrutiny by political observers following President Donald Trump&#39;s abrupt firing of James Comey on May 9.

Garland and Cornyn distancing themselves from the selection process just three days before Trump has said he may make a decision, points to the difficulties the White House has in filling the FBI post amid turmoil in the administration.

Trump&#39;s firing of Comey, the man in charge of an investigation into possible collusion between 2016 election campaign associates and the Russian government, outraged many lawmakers, including some Republicans.

Garland, the chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, &quot;loves his job and is not interested in leaving the judiciary,&quot; said one source familiar with the judge&#39;s thinking.

Cornyn said in a statement that he had informed the White House that &quot;the best way I can serve is continuing to fight for a conservative agenda in the US Senate.&quot;

White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on Tuesday that an announcement on FBI director was still possible before Trump leaves on his first foreign trip on Friday.

He said the US&nbsp;Department of Justice was still interviewing candidates.

Several Republican senators had promoted Garland even though they had refused to give him a hearing when Republican Trump&#39;s predecessor President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Garland last year for a then-vacant seat on the US Supreme Court.

The Republicans&#39; reasoning appeared to be that Garland would be accepted by Democrats and help restore faith in the FBI as a nonpartisan agency.

In an interview on Bloomberg Television, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to Garland, a former federal prosecutor, as &quot;an apolitical professional.&quot;

A second Garland acquaintance who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Garland sought advice from those who told him he would be leaving his life-long position on the federal bench to take a job that could be terminated by Trump overnight.

A Republican Senate aide said Cornyn&#39;s staff also worried that the third-term Texas Senator could cut his- and their own- careers short by going to the FBI.

An adviser to another candidate on the White House short-list, former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, 75, said Kelly is also being persuaded to step out of the running.

Kelly has not said that he would not consider the job, but so far he has not been interviewed.

Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor whose name had been floated, said on Monday he was not interested in the director position.

The difficulty in filling key administration jobs is not just limited to the FBI director post.

Trump&rsquo;s habits of contradicting his top aides, demanding personal loyalty and punishing officials who contradict him in public has discouraged a number of experienced people from pursuing jobs, said three people who declined to discuss possible positions with administration officials.

&quot;It&rsquo;s becoming increasingly difficult to attract good people to work in this administration,&quot; said one senior official. &quot;In other cases, veteran people with expertise are leaving or seeking posts overseas and away from this White House.&quot;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

Two high-profile potential candidates, a moderate judge and a conservative senator, signalled they did not want the job Tuesday

The Trump administration's search for a new FBI director hit roadblocks on Tuesday when two high-profile potential candidates, a moderate judge and a conservative senator, signalled they did not want the job. Advisers to Judge Merrick Garland and US Senator John Cornyn of Texas told Reuters they discouraged them from leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cautioning that they would be leaving important, secure jobs for one fraught with politics and controversy. The advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the new FBI director would have little job security and heightened scrutiny by political observers following President Donald Trump's abrupt firing of James Comey on May 9. Garland and Cornyn distancing themselves from the selection process just three days before Trump has said he may make a decision, points to the difficulties the White House has in filling the FBI post amid turmoil in the administration. Trump's firing of Comey, the man in charge of an investigation into possible collusion between 2016 election campaign associates and the Russian government, outraged many lawmakers, including some Republicans. Garland, the chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, "loves his job and is not interested in leaving the judiciary," said one source familiar with the judge's thinking. Cornyn said in a statement that he had informed the White House that "the best way I can serve is continuing to fight for a conservative agenda in the US Senate." White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on Tuesday that an announcement on FBI director was still possible before Trump leaves on his first foreign trip on Friday. He said the US Department of Justice was still interviewing candidates. Several Republican senators had promoted Garland even though they had refused to give him a hearing when Republican Trump's predecessor President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated Garland last year for a then-vacant seat on the US Supreme Court. The Republicans' reasoning appeared to be that Garland would be accepted by Democrats and help restore faith in the FBI as a nonpartisan agency. In an interview on Bloomberg Television, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to Garland, a former federal prosecutor, as "an apolitical professional." A second Garland acquaintance who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Garland sought advice from those who told him he would be leaving his life-long position on the federal bench to take a job that could be terminated by Trump overnight. A Republican Senate aide said Cornyn's staff also worried that the third-term Texas Senator could cut his- and their own- careers short by going to the FBI. An adviser to another candidate on the White House short-list, former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, 75, said Kelly is also being persuaded to step out of the running. Kelly has not said that he would not consider the job, but so far he has not been interviewed. Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor whose name had been floated, said on Monday he was not interested in the director position. The difficulty in filling key administration jobs is not just limited to the FBI director post. Trump’s habits of contradicting his top aides, demanding personal loyalty and punishing officials who contradict him in public has discouraged a number of experienced people from pursuing jobs, said three people who declined to discuss possible positions with administration officials. "It’s becoming increasingly difficult to attract good people to work in this administration," said one senior official. "In other cases, veteran people with expertise are leaving or seeking posts overseas and away from this White House." (Reuters)

Trump can't find a new FBI chief

U.S. President Donald Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to end the agency&#39;s investigation into ties between former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russia, according to a source who has seen a memo written by Comey.

The explosive new development on Tuesday followed a week of tumult at the White House after Trump fired Comey and then discussed sensitive national security information about Islamic State with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Comey memo, first reported by the New York Times, caused alarm on Capitol Hill and raised questions about whether Trump tried to interfere with a federal investigation.

The White House quickly denied the report, saying in a statement it was &quot;not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr. Comey.&quot;

Comey wrote the memo after he met in the Oval Office with Trump, the day after the Republican president fired Flynn on Feb. 14 for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the extent of his conversations last year with Russia&#39;s ambassador, Sergei Kislyak.

&ldquo;I hope you can let this go,&rdquo; Trump told Comey, according to a source familiar with the contents of the memo.

The New York Times said that during the Oval Office meeting, Trump condemned a series of government leaks to the news media and said the FBI director should consider prosecuting reporters for publishing classified information.

Coming the day after charges that Trump disclosed sensitive information to the Russians last week, the new disclosure further rattled members of Congress.

&quot;The memo is powerful evidence of obstruction of justice and certainly merits immediate and prompt investigation by an independent special prosecutor,&quot; said Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they wanted to see the memo.

Republican U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of a House of Representatives oversight committee, said his committee &quot;is going to get the Comey memo, if it exists. I need to see it sooner rather than later. I have my subpoena pen ready.&quot;

LEGAL QUESTIONS

Legal experts took a dim view of Trump&#39;s comments, as quoted in the memo.

&quot;For the president to tell the FBI to end a potential criminal investigation, that&#39;s obstruction of justice,&quot; said Erwin Chereminsky, a constitutional law professor and dean of University of California, Irvine School of Law. &quot;This is what caused President Nixon to resign from office.&quot;

But the experts said intent was a critical element of an obstruction of justice charge, and the president&rsquo;s words could be subject to interpretation and possibly put into the context of other actions, like Comey&rsquo;s termination.

The fact that the president apparently said he &ldquo;hoped&rdquo; Comey would end the Flynn investigation rather than more directly ordering it &ldquo;makes for a weaker but still viable case,&rdquo; said Christopher Slobogin, a criminal law professor at Vanderbilt University Law School.

Flynn&#39;s resignation came hours after it was reported that the Justice Department had warned the White House weeks earlier that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Kislyak before Trump took office on Jan. 20.

Kislyak was with Lavrov at the White House when Trump disclosed the sensitive information.

A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment on the details of the memo.

An emailed fundraising appeal by Trump&#39;s political organisation and the Republican National Committee sent out after reports of the Comey memo said Trump was being victimized by an &quot;unelected bureaucracy.&quot;

&quot;You already knew the media was out to get us,&quot; it said. &quot;But sadly it&rsquo;s not just the fake news&hellip; There are people within our own unelected bureaucracy that want to sabotage President Trump and our entire &#39;America First&#39; movement.&quot;

The new development came as Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressured Trump to give a fuller explanation for why he revealed sensitive intelligence information to Lavrov.

The information had been supplied by a U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State militant group, the officials said.

(Reuters)

The White House quickly denied the report, saying in a statement it was 'not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr Comey'

U.S. President Donald Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to end the agency's investigation into ties between former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russia, according to a source who has seen a memo written by Comey. The explosive new development on Tuesday followed a week of tumult at the White House after Trump fired Comey and then discussed sensitive national security information about Islamic State with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The Comey memo, first reported by the New York Times, caused alarm on Capitol Hill and raised questions about whether Trump tried to interfere with a federal investigation. The White House quickly denied the report, saying in a statement it was "not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr. Comey." Comey wrote the memo after he met in the Oval Office with Trump, the day after the Republican president fired Flynn on Feb. 14 for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the extent of his conversations last year with Russia's ambassador, Sergei Kislyak. “I hope you can let this go,” Trump told Comey, according to a source familiar with the contents of the memo. The New York Times said that during the Oval Office meeting, Trump condemned a series of government leaks to the news media and said the FBI director should consider prosecuting reporters for publishing classified information. Coming the day after charges that Trump disclosed sensitive information to the Russians last week, the new disclosure further rattled members of Congress. "The memo is powerful evidence of obstruction of justice and certainly merits immediate and prompt investigation by an independent special prosecutor," said Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they wanted to see the memo. Republican U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of a House of Representatives oversight committee, said his committee "is going to get the Comey memo, if it exists. I need to see it sooner rather than later. I have my subpoena pen ready." LEGAL QUESTIONS Legal experts took a dim view of Trump's comments, as quoted in the memo. "For the president to tell the FBI to end a potential criminal investigation, that's obstruction of justice," said Erwin Chereminsky, a constitutional law professor and dean of University of California, Irvine School of Law. "This is what caused President Nixon to resign from office." But the experts said intent was a critical element of an obstruction of justice charge, and the president’s words could be subject to interpretation and possibly put into the context of other actions, like Comey’s termination. The fact that the president apparently said he “hoped” Comey would end the Flynn investigation rather than more directly ordering it “makes for a weaker but still viable case,” said Christopher Slobogin, a criminal law professor at Vanderbilt University Law School. Flynn's resignation came hours after it was reported that the Justice Department had warned the White House weeks earlier that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Kislyak before Trump took office on Jan. 20. Kislyak was with Lavrov at the White House when Trump disclosed the sensitive information. A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment on the details of the memo. An emailed fundraising appeal by Trump's political organisation and the Republican National Committee sent out after reports of the Comey memo said Trump was being victimized by an "unelected bureaucracy." "You already knew the media was out to get us," it said. "But sadly it’s not just the fake news… There are people within our own unelected bureaucracy that want to sabotage President Trump and our entire 'America First' movement." The new development came as Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressured Trump to give a fuller explanation for why he revealed sensitive intelligence information to Lavrov. The information had been supplied by a U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State militant group, the officials said. (Reuters)

Trump asked Comey to end Flynn probe: New York Times

Donald Trump said Thursday he asked his now-fired FBI director on three occasions whether he was the target of ongoing investigations, stoking allegations of presidential interference.

The US president also acknowledged that Russia was on his mind when he made the decision to sack James Comey, who had been heading a probe into suspected Russian influence in the 2016 election.&nbsp;

&quot;When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story,&quot; he said in an interview with NBC, appearing to link Comey&#39;s firing with the investigation.

Trump said he had asked Comey if he was the subject of counter-intelligence probes -- twice in conversations over the phone and once over a White House dinner.

&quot;I actually asked him, yes. I said, &#39;If it&#39;s possible would you let me know, am I under investigation?&#39;&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;He said, &#39;You are not under investigation,&#39;&quot; Trump recounted, repeating an assertion made when the White House announced Comey&#39;s firing Tuesday.

&quot;All I can tell you is, well I know what, I know that I&#39;m not under investigation. Me. Personally. I&#39;m not talking about campaigns. I&#39;m not talking about anything else. I&#39;m not under investigation.&quot;

Trump&#39;s comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines.

US presidents are normally at pains to avoid any suggestion of interference or even commenting on ongoing investigations. The FBI typically does not confirm their existence.

Noted legal scholar Laurence Tribe told AFP that if Comey did indeed answer Trump&#39;s question, it would violate Department of Justice rules and &quot;would be unthinkably unethical and unprofessional in this situation.&quot;&nbsp;

Trump also said that at the dinner, he and Comey discussed whether the US top cop would stay in his role and continue his ten-year term.

Asking such a question &quot;would come close to bribery... or at least obstruction of justice, which Comey would&#39;ve had to be an idiot to fall for by offering the assurance sought,&quot; Tribe said.

The White House rejected the suggestion the exchange was inappropriate. &quot;I don&#39;t see it as a conflict of interest,&quot; White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

In the interview, Trump insisted that he always intended to fire Comey, undercutting the initial White House explanation that he acted on the recommendation of top justice officials who criticized the FBI chief&#39;s handling of a probe into Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails.

&quot;I was going to fire him regardless of recommendations,&quot; said the president. &quot;He&#39;s a showboat, he&#39;s a&nbsp;grandstander.&quot;&nbsp;

What&#39;s the reason?

Opponents have claimed that Comey&#39;s shock sacking was a bid to stall an FBI investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which is also looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Trump&#39;s team.

Trump&#39;s interview was released on the same day the interim head of the FBI told the US Congress that Comey&#39;s sacking would not derail the Russia investigation.

&quot;There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date,&quot; acting director Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a hearing that capped two days of high drama provoked by the dismissal.

&quot;You cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing,&quot; he said. &quot;All of the agents involved in the investigation are still in their positions.&quot;

Trump told NBC that had Russia interfered in the 2016 election, it would have been &quot;horrible.&quot;

He repeated denials of links between his campaign and Moscow.

&quot;There&#39;s no collusion between me, my campaign and the Russians,&quot; he said.

&#39;Broad support&#39;&nbsp;

While Trump said the outgoing FBI director had left the agency in &quot;turmoil,&quot; &nbsp;McCabe rejected any suggestion that Comey had lost the support of the rank and file.

&quot;Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does today,&quot; he told the committee.&nbsp;

Echoing a widely-held view in opposition ranks, the senior Democrat on the Senate committee, John Warner, called the timing of Comey&#39;s dismissal &quot;especially troubling.&quot;

&quot;He was leading an active counterintelligence investigation into any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government or its representatives, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia&#39;s efforts to interfere in our election.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;For many people, including myself, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the president&#39;s decision to remove Director Comey was related to this investigation.&quot;

McCabe gave no information on the status of the FBI probe, which dates back to July last year when the agency became aware of alleged Russian hacking of Democratic party computers and communications.

He also pledged not to discuss the Russia investigation with the White House.

(AFP)

Trump's comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines.

Donald Trump said Thursday he asked his now-fired FBI director on three occasions whether he was the target of ongoing investigations, stoking allegations of presidential interference. The US president also acknowledged that Russia was on his mind when he made the decision to sack James Comey, who had been heading a probe into suspected Russian influence in the 2016 election. "When I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story," he said in an interview with NBC, appearing to link Comey's firing with the investigation. Trump said he had asked Comey if he was the subject of counter-intelligence probes -- twice in conversations over the phone and once over a White House dinner. "I actually asked him, yes. I said, 'If it's possible would you let me know, am I under investigation?'" "He said, 'You are not under investigation,'" Trump recounted, repeating an assertion made when the White House announced Comey's firing Tuesday. "All I can tell you is, well I know what, I know that I'm not under investigation. Me. Personally. I'm not talking about campaigns. I'm not talking about anything else. I'm not under investigation." Trump's comments to NBC raised questions about whether he had acted inappropriately and whether Comey had broken government guidelines. US presidents are normally at pains to avoid any suggestion of interference or even commenting on ongoing investigations. The FBI typically does not confirm their existence. Noted legal scholar Laurence Tribe told AFP that if Comey did indeed answer Trump's question, it would violate Department of Justice rules and "would be unthinkably unethical and unprofessional in this situation." Trump also said that at the dinner, he and Comey discussed whether the US top cop would stay in his role and continue his ten-year term. Asking such a question "would come close to bribery... or at least obstruction of justice, which Comey would've had to be an idiot to fall for by offering the assurance sought," Tribe said. The White House rejected the suggestion the exchange was inappropriate. "I don't see it as a conflict of interest," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. In the interview, Trump insisted that he always intended to fire Comey, undercutting the initial White House explanation that he acted on the recommendation of top justice officials who criticized the FBI chief's handling of a probe into Hillary Clinton's emails. "I was going to fire him regardless of recommendations," said the president. "He's a showboat, he's a grandstander." What's the reason? Opponents have claimed that Comey's shock sacking was a bid to stall an FBI investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which is also looking into possible collusion between the Kremlin and Trump's team. Trump's interview was released on the same day the interim head of the FBI told the US Congress that Comey's sacking would not derail the Russia investigation. "There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date," acting director Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a hearing that capped two days of high drama provoked by the dismissal. "You cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing," he said. "All of the agents involved in the investigation are still in their positions." Trump told NBC that had Russia interfered in the 2016 election, it would have been "horrible." He repeated denials of links between his campaign and Moscow. "There's no collusion between me, my campaign and the Russians," he said. 'Broad support' While Trump said the outgoing FBI director had left the agency in "turmoil," McCabe rejected any suggestion that Comey had lost the support of the rank and file. "Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does today," he told the committee. Echoing a widely-held view in opposition ranks, the senior Democrat on the Senate committee, John Warner, called the timing of Comey's dismissal "especially troubling." "He was leading an active counterintelligence investigation into any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government or its representatives, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts to interfere in our election." "For many people, including myself, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the president's decision to remove Director Comey was related to this investigation." McCabe gave no information on the status of the FBI probe, which dates back to July last year when the agency became aware of alleged Russian hacking of Democratic party computers and communications. He also pledged not to discuss the Russia investigation with the White House. (AFP)

Trump asked sacked FBI chief Comey three times if he was target of investigations

The anger behind Donald Trump&#39;s firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday had been building for months, but a turning point came when Comey refused to preview for top Trump aides his planned testimony to a Senate panel, White House officials said.

Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server.

When Comey refused, Trump and his aides considered that an act of insubordination and it was one of the catalysts to Trump&rsquo;s decision this week to fire the FBI director, the officials said.

&quot;It gave the impression that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties,&quot; one official said. Previews of congressional testimony to superiors are generally considered courteous.

Comey, who testified for four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it made him feel &quot;mildly nauseous&quot; that his decision to make public his reopening of a probe into Clinton&#39;s handling of classified information might have affected the outcome of the November 8 presidential election. But he said he had no regrets and would make the same decision again.

Trump&#39;s sudden firing of Comey shocked Washington and plunged Trump deeper into a controversy over his campaign&#39;s alleged ties with Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency.

Democrats accused the Republican president of firing Comey to try to undermine the FBI&#39;s probe into Russia&#39;s alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 election and possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign, and demanded an independent investigation. Some of Trump&#39;s fellow Republicans called his dismissal of Comey troubling.

The Trump administration said on Tuesday Comey was fired because of his handling of the Clinton email probe.

Before he axed Comey, Trump had publicly expressed frustration with the FBI and congressional probes into the Russia matter. Moscow has denied meddling in the election and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia.

A former Trump adviser said Trump was also angry because Comey had never offered a public exoneration of Trump in the FBI probe into contacts between the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Sergei Kislyak, and Trump campaign advisers last year.

According to this former adviser, Comey&#39;s Senate testimony on the Clinton emails likely reinforced in Trump&#39;s mind that &quot;Comey was against him.&quot;

&quot;He regretted what he did to Hillary but not what he did to Trump,&quot; the former Trump adviser said of Comey.

Clinton has said that the Comey decision to announce the renewed inquiry days before the election was a likely factor in her loss to Trump.

Aides said Trump moved quickly after receiving a recommendation on Monday to terminate Comey from Rosenstein, who began reviewing the situation at the FBI shortly after taking office two weeks ago.

Trump&#39;s move was so sudden that his White House staff, accustomed to his impromptu style, was caught off guard. Stunned aides scrambled to put together a plan to explain what happened.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer ended up briefing reporters about the move in the dark on Tuesday night near a patch of bushes steps away from the West Wing.

Comey, who was in Los Angeles meeting with FBI employees on Tuesday and returned later to Washington, has made no public comment on his firing.

Fig Leaf

Many questions remained about what caused Trump to move so quickly.

Two former senior Justice Department officials said it made little sense to fire Comey while the Justice Department Inspector General was still doing a review of the FBI&rsquo;s handling of the Clinton email investigation.

&ldquo;I take Rod (Rosenstein) at his word that be believed everything in that memo but he must know that it&rsquo;s going to be used as a fig leaf to fire Comey,&rdquo; one former official said.

US&nbsp;Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters it was her &ldquo;understanding&rdquo; Comey had been seeking more resources for his investigation into the tangled Russia controversy.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had pondered dumping Comey as soon as he took office on January 20, but decided to stick with him.

Trump shrugged off the political firestorm he created with Comey&#39;s dismissal as he met with former US&nbsp;Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Asked by reporters why he fired Comey, Trump said, &quot;He wasn&#39;t doing a good job, very simply. He wasn&#39;t doing a good job.&quot;

(Reuters)

Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server

The anger behind Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday had been building for months, but a turning point came when Comey refused to preview for top Trump aides his planned testimony to a Senate panel, White House officials said. Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. When Comey refused, Trump and his aides considered that an act of insubordination and it was one of the catalysts to Trump’s decision this week to fire the FBI director, the officials said. "It gave the impression that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties," one official said. Previews of congressional testimony to superiors are generally considered courteous. Comey, who testified for four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it made him feel "mildly nauseous" that his decision to make public his reopening of a probe into Clinton's handling of classified information might have affected the outcome of the November 8 presidential election. But he said he had no regrets and would make the same decision again. Trump's sudden firing of Comey shocked Washington and plunged Trump deeper into a controversy over his campaign's alleged ties with Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency. Democrats accused the Republican president of firing Comey to try to undermine the FBI's probe into Russia's alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 election and possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign, and demanded an independent investigation. Some of Trump's fellow Republicans called his dismissal of Comey troubling. The Trump administration said on Tuesday Comey was fired because of his handling of the Clinton email probe. Before he axed Comey, Trump had publicly expressed frustration with the FBI and congressional probes into the Russia matter. Moscow has denied meddling in the election and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia. A former Trump adviser said Trump was also angry because Comey had never offered a public exoneration of Trump in the FBI probe into contacts between the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Sergei Kislyak, and Trump campaign advisers last year. According to this former adviser, Comey's Senate testimony on the Clinton emails likely reinforced in Trump's mind that "Comey was against him." "He regretted what he did to Hillary but not what he did to Trump," the former Trump adviser said of Comey. Clinton has said that the Comey decision to announce the renewed inquiry days before the election was a likely factor in her loss to Trump. Aides said Trump moved quickly after receiving a recommendation on Monday to terminate Comey from Rosenstein, who began reviewing the situation at the FBI shortly after taking office two weeks ago. Trump's move was so sudden that his White House staff, accustomed to his impromptu style, was caught off guard. Stunned aides scrambled to put together a plan to explain what happened. White House spokesman Sean Spicer ended up briefing reporters about the move in the dark on Tuesday night near a patch of bushes steps away from the West Wing. Comey, who was in Los Angeles meeting with FBI employees on Tuesday and returned later to Washington, has made no public comment on his firing. Fig Leaf Many questions remained about what caused Trump to move so quickly. Two former senior Justice Department officials said it made little sense to fire Comey while the Justice Department Inspector General was still doing a review of the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email investigation. “I take Rod (Rosenstein) at his word that be believed everything in that memo but he must know that it’s going to be used as a fig leaf to fire Comey,” one former official said. US Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters it was her “understanding” Comey had been seeking more resources for his investigation into the tangled Russia controversy. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had pondered dumping Comey as soon as he took office on January 20, but decided to stick with him. Trump shrugged off the political firestorm he created with Comey's dismissal as he met with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office on Wednesday. Asked by reporters why he fired Comey, Trump said, "He wasn't doing a good job, very simply. He wasn't doing a good job." (Reuters)

Comey's refusal to preview details of Senate testimony on Clinton probe made Trump furious

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of FBI director James Comey in a series of Tweets, even as the turmoil in Washington continued over the sacking.

He vowed to replace Comey with someone &quot;far better.&quot;

&quot;Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me,&quot; Trump wrote in a Tweet.

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James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.
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Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!
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Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign&#39;s possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sacking will not impact relations between the two nations.

&quot;There will be no effect,&quot; Putin told CBS.&quot;Your question looks very funny for me. Don&#39;t be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that.&quot;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
 
&nbsp;

Sacked FBI director James Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of FBI director James Comey in a series of Tweets, even as the turmoil in Washington continued over the sacking. He vowed to replace Comey with someone "far better." "Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me," Trump wrote in a Tweet. James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017 × Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017 × Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sacking will not impact relations between the two nations. "There will be no effect," Putin told CBS."Your question looks very funny for me. Don't be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump defends FBI director sacking

When FBI Director James Comey teased that he had joined the world of social media with secret Instagram and Twitter accounts, tech writer Ashley Feinberg took the dare.

After four hours of FBI-level sleuthing, she was pretty sure she had the answer: On both he was using the name of US Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Embarrassing: He had only one Twitter follower.

All it took, Feinberg said on the Gizmodo website where she is a senior reporter, was for Comey to tell an audience of security professionals on Wednesday night that he had very cautiously joined the social networking age to keep up with family.

&quot;I care deeply about privacy, treasure it. I have an Instagram account with nine followers. Nobody is getting in. They&#39;re all immediate relatives, and one daughter&#39;s serious boyfriend,&quot; Comey let slip.

Feinberg&#39;s interest was piqued.

&quot;Who am I to say no to a challenge?&quot; she wrote. She tracked down Comey&#39;s family members, eventually discovering his son Brien&#39;s Instagram account by way of a photo of him with an Instagram tag.

That led to a potential dead end: A protected account which she could not view.

But when she asked to be invited by Brien Comey to view his account, Instagram popped up with offers to follow other accounts that included Brien&#39;s mother and a mysterious &quot;Reinhold Niebuhr,&quot; who had just nine followers.

And a Google check easily showed that Niebuhr was the subject of James Comey&#39;s 1982 university thesis.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation chief, who carries the mammoth political burden of investigating the Trump administration&#39;s suspected links to Russia as both political parties eye him suspiciously, unsurprisingly also had a protected account.

But from there to Twitter was easy. Feinberg found seven Niebuhrs there, but only one with secretive identity: @projectexile7. That was the name of a program to battle gun-related crime that Comey helped develop.

That account had no tweets in three years, and followed only 27 other accounts. But those were reporters who cover the FBI, and law enforcement-related accounts. And Donald Trump.

And the one follower was a prominent expert in national security law and a friend of Comey&#39;s.

Bingo. So much for secrecy. The FBI had no comment, but the Twitter-verse was convinced. Hours after Feinberg&#39;s report, Comey had more than 8,000 followers. Pretty good for never tweeting.

(AFP)

FBI Director James Comey had very cautiously joined social media with secret Instagram and Twitter accounts to keep up with family

When FBI Director James Comey teased that he had joined the world of social media with secret Instagram and Twitter accounts, tech writer Ashley Feinberg took the dare. After four hours of FBI-level sleuthing, she was pretty sure she had the answer: On both he was using the name of US Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Embarrassing: He had only one Twitter follower. All it took, Feinberg said on the Gizmodo website where she is a senior reporter, was for Comey to tell an audience of security professionals on Wednesday night that he had very cautiously joined the social networking age to keep up with family. "I care deeply about privacy, treasure it. I have an Instagram account with nine followers. Nobody is getting in. They're all immediate relatives, and one daughter's serious boyfriend," Comey let slip. Feinberg's interest was piqued. "Who am I to say no to a challenge?" she wrote. She tracked down Comey's family members, eventually discovering his son Brien's Instagram account by way of a photo of him with an Instagram tag. That led to a potential dead end: A protected account which she could not view. But when she asked to be invited by Brien Comey to view his account, Instagram popped up with offers to follow other accounts that included Brien's mother and a mysterious "Reinhold Niebuhr," who had just nine followers. And a Google check easily showed that Niebuhr was the subject of James Comey's 1982 university thesis. The Federal Bureau of Investigation chief, who carries the mammoth political burden of investigating the Trump administration's suspected links to Russia as both political parties eye him suspiciously, unsurprisingly also had a protected account. But from there to Twitter was easy. Feinberg found seven Niebuhrs there, but only one with secretive identity: @projectexile7. That was the name of a program to battle gun-related crime that Comey helped develop. That account had no tweets in three years, and followed only 27 other accounts. But those were reporters who cover the FBI, and law enforcement-related accounts. And Donald Trump. And the one follower was a prominent expert in national security law and a friend of Comey's. Bingo. So much for secrecy. The FBI had no comment, but the Twitter-verse was convinced. Hours after Feinberg's report, Comey had more than 8,000 followers. Pretty good for never tweeting. (AFP)

Is this FBI chief James Comey's secret Twitter account?

FBI Director James Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly refute President Donald Trump&#39;s explosive accusation that Barack Obama tapped his phones, US media reported on Sunday.

The New York Times, citing senior US officials, first reported that Comey believes Trump&#39;s unsubstantiated claim about his predecessor to be false. The department has not made any statement.

Comey made the request on Saturday because &quot;there is no evidence to support it, and it insinuates that the FBI broke the law,&quot; the paper reported the officials as saying.

Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department immediately responded to an AFP request for comment.

Questioning the president&#39;s truthfulness, Comey&#39;s extraordinary measure provides an indication of the implications of the uncharted territory Trump has entered with his accusation.

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<h5>Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday. &#39;How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process,&#39; he wrote. &#39;This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!&#39;</h5>
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However, although the Justice Department -- which is headed by Trump&#39;s staunch supporter Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- oversees the FBI, it is not clear why Comey didn&#39;t issue a statement himself.

Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday.

&quot;How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process,&quot; he wrote. &quot;This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!&quot; He provided no evidence to back up the claim.

Obama denied the allegation via a spokesman as &quot;simply false&quot;.

However, the Republican chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Devin Nunes, said his panel would look into Trump&#39;s claim after the White House on Sunday urged Congress to investigate his allegation.

The accusation has prompted a firestorm of criticism, with many saying Trump&#39;s incendiary claim was aimed at diverting attention from a series of revelations about his aides&#39; meetings with Russian officials.

(AFP)

Trump had claimed, without offering evidence, that Barack Obama had tapped his phones

FBI Director James Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly refute President Donald Trump's explosive accusation that Barack Obama tapped his phones, US media reported on Sunday. The New York Times, citing senior US officials, first reported that Comey believes Trump's unsubstantiated claim about his predecessor to be false. The department has not made any statement. Comey made the request on Saturday because "there is no evidence to support it, and it insinuates that the FBI broke the law," the paper reported the officials as saying. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department immediately responded to an AFP request for comment. Questioning the president's truthfulness, Comey's extraordinary measure provides an indication of the implications of the uncharted territory Trump has entered with his accusation. Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday. 'How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process,' he wrote. 'This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!' × However, although the Justice Department -- which is headed by Trump's staunch supporter Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- oversees the FBI, it is not clear why Comey didn't issue a statement himself. Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday. "How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process," he wrote. "This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" He provided no evidence to back up the claim. Obama denied the allegation via a spokesman as "simply false". However, the Republican chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Devin Nunes, said his panel would look into Trump's claim after the White House on Sunday urged Congress to investigate his allegation. The accusation has prompted a firestorm of criticism, with many saying Trump's incendiary claim was aimed at diverting attention from a series of revelations about his aides' meetings with Russian officials. (AFP)

FBI director asks Justice Department to publicly refute Trump's Obama claim: Reports

&nbsp;US Justice department&#39;s internal watchdog&nbsp;said it will investigate the department and&nbsp;FBI actions regarding the Clinton email scandal on Thursday.&nbsp;

The announcement comes eight days before US President-elect Donald Trump&nbsp;takes the oath.&nbsp;

Inspector General Michael Horowitz said the review was taking place after appeals from &quot;numerous chairmen and ranking members of congressional oversight committees, various organisations and members of the public.&quot;

Horowitz said that five allegations will be investigated, which include FBI director James Comey&#39;s announcement over reopening a probe on Clinton emails just before the November 8 election.&nbsp;

Allegations of&nbsp;Justice department and FBI employees disclosing&nbsp;&quot;nonpublic information&quot; and releasing of documents in few weeks before election by FBI was &quot;influenced by improper considerations.&quot;

Comey recieved flak for the announcement from Democrats and Republicans alike, with Democrats alleging the announcement caused political damage.&nbsp;

White House spokesman&nbsp;Josh Earnest said the White House was not involved in the inquiry.&nbsp;

&quot;I can tell you that the White House was not involved in that decision.&quot;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Five allegations will be investigated, including FBI director James Comey's announcement of reopening probe on Clinton emails before Nov 8

US Justice department's internal watchdog said it will investigate the department and FBI actions regarding the Clinton email scandal on Thursday. The announcement comes eight days before US President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath. Inspector General Michael Horowitz said the review was taking place after appeals from "numerous chairmen and ranking members of congressional oversight committees, various organisations and members of the public." Horowitz said that five allegations will be investigated, which include FBI director James Comey's announcement over reopening a probe on Clinton emails just before the November 8 election. Allegations of Justice department and FBI employees disclosing "nonpublic information" and releasing of documents in few weeks before election by FBI was "influenced by improper considerations." Comey recieved flak for the announcement from Democrats and Republicans alike, with Democrats alleging the announcement caused political damage. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House was not involved in the inquiry. "I can tell you that the White House was not involved in that decision." (WION with inputs from AFP)

US: Justice department watchdog to probe FBI over Clinton emails

The FBI has no evidence that Russia successfully hacked President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s campaign or the Republican National Committee (RNC), Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said on Tuesday.

Testifying before Congress for the first time since Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton on November&nbsp;8, Comey declined to answer a question about whether the FBI was investigating the possibility of links between Trump associates and Russia.

US&nbsp;intelligence agencies on Friday released an assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to help Republican Trump&#39;s electoral chances by discrediting Clinton in the 2016 campaign.

The report, which omitted classified details, was the US&nbsp;government&#39;s starkest public description of what it says was an Russian campaign to manipulate the American electoral process. Russian authorities have denied interfering in the election.

&quot;We did not develop any evidence that the Trump campaign, or the current RNC, was successfully hacked,&quot; Comey told lawmakers.

He said there was evidence Russia hacked Republican state-level political campaigns and &quot;old&quot; email domains that the RNC was no longer using. While it collected some information from these hacks, Russia did not publicly release it, he said.

In contrast, Friday&#39;s report assessed that Russian military intelligence used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks, DCLeaks.com and the Guccifer 2.0 &quot;persona&quot; to release emails that it had acquired from the Democratic National Committee and top Democrats as part of the effort to help Trump and harm Clinton.

(Reuters)

James Comey said there was evidence Russia hacked Republican state-level political campaigns and 'old' email domains that RNC no longer used

The FBI has no evidence that Russia successfully hacked President-elect Donald Trump's campaign or the Republican National Committee (RNC), Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said on Tuesday. Testifying before Congress for the first time since Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton on November 8, Comey declined to answer a question about whether the FBI was investigating the possibility of links between Trump associates and Russia. US intelligence agencies on Friday released an assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to help Republican Trump's electoral chances by discrediting Clinton in the 2016 campaign. The report, which omitted classified details, was the US government's starkest public description of what it says was an Russian campaign to manipulate the American electoral process. Russian authorities have denied interfering in the election. "We did not develop any evidence that the Trump campaign, or the current RNC, was successfully hacked," Comey told lawmakers. He said there was evidence Russia hacked Republican state-level political campaigns and "old" email domains that the RNC was no longer using. While it collected some information from these hacks, Russia did not publicly release it, he said. In contrast, Friday's report assessed that Russian military intelligence used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks, DCLeaks.com and the Guccifer 2.0 "persona" to release emails that it had acquired from the Democratic National Committee and top Democrats as part of the effort to help Trump and harm Clinton. (Reuters)

No evidence Trump campaign or RNC 'successfully hacked' says FBI

FBI Director James Comey was under attack from some of his own agents and members of Congress on Monday over his handling of an inquiry into Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails, but the White House was remaining supportive, for now.

In stunning fashion, Comey has injected the Federal Bureau of Investigation, meant to be politically neutral, into the thick of the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential race, making a series of announcements on the inquiry.

The latest was on Sunday, when he said the FBI stood by a July decision not to recommend criminal charges against the Democratic presidential candidate. Sunday&#39;s announcement came days after Comey disclosed the FBI was examining a trove of newly discovered emails.

With the election coming on Tuesday, Comey&#39;s statements and the FBI&#39;s overall handling of the emails controversy has drawn fire from congressional Democrats, who criticised the agency for clouding Clinton&#39;s campaign so close to the election, while Republicans questioned why the new inquiry ended so quickly.

FBI &quot;field agents have felt the derivative impact of the criticism fired at Director Comey as a result of the Clinton email scandal,&quot; said Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation, which represents more than 3,500 FBI agents.

He said some agents disapprove of Comey&#39;s handling of the investigation and think he should resign, while others support him, but do not appreciate being in a political crossfire.

A spokesman for the FBI Agents Association said the more than 13,000 active and former special agents it represents have become the victims of &ldquo;unwarranted attacks&rdquo; on their integrity.

&quot;Implications that agents do not respect the confidentiality of those investigations is simply false,&quot; said the association&rsquo;s president Thomas O&rsquo;Connor.

Comey has so far kept the support of President Barack Obama, who has the power to fire the FBI director. &quot;The president views Director Comey as a man of integrity, a man of principle,&quot; White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing on Monday. &quot;The president&#39;s views of him have not changed ...he continues to have confidence in his ability to run the FBI.&quot;

The White House has said it will not criticise or defend Comey over his handling of the Clinton email investigation.

Charles Schumer, a close Clinton ally and expected Senate majority leader should Democrats regain control of the chamber, said on October&nbsp;30 that he was &ldquo;appalled at what Director Comey did&rdquo; and owes an explanation to Clinton and the American people.

FBI directors are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve 10 years, unless they are fired or resign.

Only one FBI director in recent history has been fired. William Sessions was fired by President Bill Clinton in 1993 after a report emerged about Sessions using an FBI airplane for personal travel and other unethical practices. FBI Director Louis Freeh resigned in 2001, two years short of the end of his term, amid a scandal over Robert Hanssen, a senior FBI official charged with spying for the Soviet Union and Russia undetected for 15 years.

If Clinton wins the election, as polls suggest, she would also be in the position to fire Comey, but might not do so to avoid being portrayed as seeking political retaliation.

&quot;I don&rsquo;t know what her view will be, but ...you just cannot have an FBI director in place who believes he is accountable to neither the rules nor the attorney general,&rdquo; said Matthew Miller, former chief spokesman for the Obama Justice Department.

Under the federal Hatch Act, Justice Department employees may not engage in partisan political activity while on duty.

On Sunday, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said Comey&#39;s &quot;original letter&quot; telling Congress that Clinton&#39;s emails were once again under investigation &quot;should never have been sent so close to an election&quot;.

Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley called on the Justice Department&#39;s inspector general on Novemeber&nbsp;2 to examine the FBI&#39;s investigation.

(Reuters)

The FBI Director has drawn the Republican's ire for ending the Clinton email investigation so quickly, and Democrats' for starting it at all

FBI Director James Comey was under attack from some of his own agents and members of Congress on Monday over his handling of an inquiry into Hillary Clinton's emails, but the White House was remaining supportive, for now. In stunning fashion, Comey has injected the Federal Bureau of Investigation, meant to be politically neutral, into the thick of the 2016 US presidential race, making a series of announcements on the inquiry. The latest was on Sunday, when he said the FBI stood by a July decision not to recommend criminal charges against the Democratic presidential candidate. Sunday's announcement came days after Comey disclosed the FBI was examining a trove of newly discovered emails. With the election coming on Tuesday, Comey's statements and the FBI's overall handling of the emails controversy has drawn fire from congressional Democrats, who criticised the agency for clouding Clinton's campaign so close to the election, while Republicans questioned why the new inquiry ended so quickly. FBI "field agents have felt the derivative impact of the criticism fired at Director Comey as a result of the Clinton email scandal," said Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation, which represents more than 3,500 FBI agents. He said some agents disapprove of Comey's handling of the investigation and think he should resign, while others support him, but do not appreciate being in a political crossfire. A spokesman for the FBI Agents Association said the more than 13,000 active and former special agents it represents have become the victims of “unwarranted attacks” on their integrity. "Implications that agents do not respect the confidentiality of those investigations is simply false," said the association’s president Thomas O’Connor. Comey has so far kept the support of President Barack Obama, who has the power to fire the FBI director. "The president views Director Comey as a man of integrity, a man of principle," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing on Monday. "The president's views of him have not changed ...he continues to have confidence in his ability to run the FBI." The White House has said it will not criticise or defend Comey over his handling of the Clinton email investigation. Charles Schumer, a close Clinton ally and expected Senate majority leader should Democrats regain control of the chamber, said on October 30 that he was “appalled at what Director Comey did” and owes an explanation to Clinton and the American people. FBI directors are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve 10 years, unless they are fired or resign. Only one FBI director in recent history has been fired. William Sessions was fired by President Bill Clinton in 1993 after a report emerged about Sessions using an FBI airplane for personal travel and other unethical practices. FBI Director Louis Freeh resigned in 2001, two years short of the end of his term, amid a scandal over Robert Hanssen, a senior FBI official charged with spying for the Soviet Union and Russia undetected for 15 years. If Clinton wins the election, as polls suggest, she would also be in the position to fire Comey, but might not do so to avoid being portrayed as seeking political retaliation. "I don’t know what her view will be, but ...you just cannot have an FBI director in place who believes he is accountable to neither the rules nor the attorney general,” said Matthew Miller, former chief spokesman for the Obama Justice Department. Under the federal Hatch Act, Justice Department employees may not engage in partisan political activity while on duty. On Sunday, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said Comey's "original letter" telling Congress that Clinton's emails were once again under investigation "should never have been sent so close to an election". Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley called on the Justice Department's inspector general on Novemeber 2 to examine the FBI's investigation. (Reuters)

FBI agents, lawmakers hammer Comey over Clinton emails inquiry

When Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey announced 11 days before the election&nbsp;that the agency would be reviewing a new batch of Democractic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton&#39;s emails,&nbsp;many thought&nbsp;the race&#39;s momentum had swung towards Trump for good.

For days, the headlines had been about&nbsp;Trump&#39;s comments on&nbsp;grabbing women &quot;by the p*ssy&quot;, and now they were about&nbsp;Clinton&#39;s emails again.

But Comey has written a new letter today, saying unequivocally that the FBI&nbsp;have reviewed &quot;all of the&nbsp;communications&nbsp;that were to or from Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State&quot;, and that based on this, they have not changed their conclusion from July, which stated&nbsp;that nothing was&nbsp;illegal.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
As expected, the review of the additional emails has not changed the FBI&#39;s original conclusion. <a href="https://t.co/iVMTWRLv4h">pic.twitter.com/iVMTWRLv4h</a>
&mdash; Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAdamSchiff/status/795360399948390405">November 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Comey was criticised for contravening the Department of Justice&#39;s standard policy by commenting on an investigation, seemingly all on his own,&nbsp;so close to the election.&nbsp;

Trump surrogate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said, then denied, that he had advanced knowledge that&nbsp;the FBI was reviewing&nbsp;new&nbsp;Clinton emails, which suggested that the FBI was leaking&nbsp;information to him and the Trump campaign.

Whether&nbsp;this&nbsp;Comey letter gets as much prominence&nbsp;in US media is yet to be determined. Also to be determined is whether or not Comey&#39;s&nbsp;new letter will undo the damage his old one did to&nbsp;the Clinton campaign.

(WION)&nbsp;

FBI?chief wrote they have reviewed all communication?'to or from Hillary Clinton while she was secretary', nothing illegal was found

When Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey announced 11 days before the election that the agency would be reviewing a new batch of Democractic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's emails, many thought the race's momentum had swung towards Trump for good. For days, the headlines had been about Trump's comments on grabbing women "by the p*ssy", and now they were about Clinton's emails again. But Comey has written a new letter today, saying unequivocally that the FBI have reviewed "all of the communications that were to or from Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State", and that based on this, they have not changed their conclusion from July, which stated that nothing was illegal. As expected, the review of the additional emails has not changed the FBI's original conclusion. pic.twitter.com/iVMTWRLv4h — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 6, 2016 × Comey was criticised for contravening the Department of Justice's standard policy by commenting on an investigation, seemingly all on his own, so close to the election. Trump surrogate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said, then denied, that he had advanced knowledge that the FBI was reviewing new Clinton emails, which suggested that the FBI was leaking information to him and the Trump campaign. Whether this Comey letter gets as much prominence in US media is yet to be determined. Also to be determined is whether or not Comey's new letter will undo the damage his old one did to the Clinton campaign. (WION)

New Comey letter clears Clinton, a second time

US President Barack Obama said on Friday that he does not believe Federal Bureau of Ivestigation director James Comey was trying to influence the presidential election when he decided the agency would examine newly discovered emails in its probe of Hillary Clinton&#39;s private server.

&quot;Now I&#39;ve said before and I&#39;ll say again, Jim Comey is a good man,&quot; Obama said in an interview on MSNBC.

&quot;And I do not believe that he is in any way trying to influence the election one way or another. I think he is a serious public servant who wants to do the right thing,&quot; Obama said.

A complaint was filed against Comey for interfering in the US presidential elections by sending a letter to the Congress saying that the FBI is taking additional &quot;investigative steps&quot; into Clinton&#39;s use of private email server.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

FBI director James Comey has been said to interfere in elections by taking additional 'steps' into Clinton's use of private email server

US President Barack Obama said on Friday that he does not believe Federal Bureau of Ivestigation director James Comey was trying to influence the presidential election when he decided the agency would examine newly discovered emails in its probe of Hillary Clinton's private server. "Now I've said before and I'll say again, Jim Comey is a good man," Obama said in an interview on MSNBC. "And I do not believe that he is in any way trying to influence the election one way or another. I think he is a serious public servant who wants to do the right thing," Obama said. A complaint was filed against Comey for interfering in the US presidential elections by sending a letter to the Congress saying that the FBI is taking additional "investigative steps" into Clinton's use of private email server. (Reuters)

I don't believe Comey was trying to influence the elections: Obama

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday published documents regarding former president Bill Clinton&#39;s closed case just days before the November 8 presidential election.

The heavily redacted 129-page report&#39;s release over the pardon of trader Marc Rich has come under fire from Democrats already upset by the reopening of the&nbsp;probe into newly discovered emails reportedly linked to Hillary Clinton. The investigation into the pardon of the husband of a wealthy Democratic donor was closed in 2005 without charges.

The documents published on Monday received attention after they were posted on Tuesday on Twitter by FBI&#39;s division that handles Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

&quot;Absent a FOIA litigation deadline, this is odd,&quot; said Hillary Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon, AFP reported.

&quot;Will FBI be posting docs on Trump&#39;s housing discrimination in &#39;70s?&quot; he added, referring to Clinton&#39;s Republican rival Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate magnate.

The FBI said that the documents were released according to FOIA&#39;s usual procedure as the materials were requested three or more times.

&quot;Per the standard procedure for FOIA, these materials became available for release and were posted automatically and electronically to the FBI&#39;s public reading room in accordance with the law and established procedures,&quot; the statement said, reported AFP.

The bureau suggested that more documents could follow.

Rich was a fugitive from the Department of Justice after he was indicted on federal charged of tax evasion in the US. He died in 2013 while he was living in exile in Switzerland.

Bill Clinton pardoned him on his last day in office in 2001. An investigation was opened into the matter later that year.

&quot;It appears that the required pardon standards and procedures were not followed,&quot; reads the FBI document dated February 15, 2001, reports AFP.

Current FBI director James Comey had handled the case the as a young prosecutor. Comey is under fire for reopening the probe into Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while secretary of state.

(With inputs from AFP)

The investigation into the pardon of the husband of a wealthy Democratic donor was closed in 2005 without charges

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday published documents regarding former president Bill Clinton's closed case just days before the November 8 presidential election. The heavily redacted 129-page report's release over the pardon of trader Marc Rich has come under fire from Democrats already upset by the reopening of the probe into newly discovered emails reportedly linked to Hillary Clinton. The investigation into the pardon of the husband of a wealthy Democratic donor was closed in 2005 without charges. The documents published on Monday received attention after they were posted on Tuesday on Twitter by FBI's division that handles Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. "Absent a FOIA litigation deadline, this is odd," said Hillary Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon, AFP reported. "Will FBI be posting docs on Trump's housing discrimination in '70s?" he added, referring to Clinton's Republican rival Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate magnate. The FBI said that the documents were released according to FOIA's usual procedure as the materials were requested three or more times. "Per the standard procedure for FOIA, these materials became available for release and were posted automatically and electronically to the FBI's public reading room in accordance with the law and established procedures," the statement said, reported AFP. The bureau suggested that more documents could follow. Rich was a fugitive from the Department of Justice after he was indicted on federal charged of tax evasion in the US. He died in 2013 while he was living in exile in Switzerland. Bill Clinton pardoned him on his last day in office in 2001. An investigation was opened into the matter later that year. "It appears that the required pardon standards and procedures were not followed," reads the FBI document dated February 15, 2001, reports AFP. Current FBI director James Comey had handled the case the as a young prosecutor. Comey is under fire for reopening the probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state. (With inputs from AFP)

FBI releases Bill Clinton's closed case files ahead of Nov 8 election

Senate minority leader Harry Reid asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate whether the Russian government may be attempting to &#39;interfere in the US presidential elections&#39; by tampering with voting results.&nbsp; 
 
Reid, in his letter to the FBI director James Comey on Monday, said,&quot;The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War.&quot; 
 
He also voiced concerns about possible Russian government efforts to manipulate Trump&#39;s campaign ahead of the November 8 election, and to use it as a vehicle to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
 
On Tuesday, four other Democrats wrote to Comey to investigate if the campaign officials working for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump coordinating with Russian interests to influence the electoral process.&nbsp; 
 
The letters come in the wake of repeated hacking attempts targeting US political databases.&nbsp; 
 
Kremlin officials have denied any involvement in penetrating the election system of the US. 
 
Hackers targeted voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona on Monday. The FBI did not specify who might have been behind the assault.&nbsp; 
 
Comey, however, declined to give any details about FBI&#39;s probe but indicated that agency was closely watching what other countries were doing.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with input from Reuters)

The move comes following a spate of hacking attempts targeting US political databases

Senate minority leader Harry Reid asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate whether the Russian government may be attempting to 'interfere in the US presidential elections' by tampering with voting results. Reid, in his letter to the FBI director James Comey on Monday, said,"The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War." He also voiced concerns about possible Russian government efforts to manipulate Trump's campaign ahead of the November 8 election, and to use it as a vehicle to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, four other Democrats wrote to Comey to investigate if the campaign officials working for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump coordinating with Russian interests to influence the electoral process. The letters come in the wake of repeated hacking attempts targeting US political databases. Kremlin officials have denied any involvement in penetrating the election system of the US. Hackers targeted voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona on Monday. The FBI did not specify who might have been behind the assault. Comey, however, declined to give any details about FBI's probe but indicated that agency was closely watching what other countries were doing. (WION with input from Reuters)

Senate minority leader requests FBI probe into Russia 'tampering' with election results

The top elected US Republican formally asked the country&#39;s intelligence chief not to give Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton any classified information during the election campaign, according to a letter released today. 
 
House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan said in the letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that denying Clinton classified briefings during her run for the presidency would be an appropriate sanction for her improper handling of classified emails while secretary of state. 
 
Presidential candidates normally get access to classified information once they are formally nominated. 
 
The issue of Clinton&#39;s use of private email servers during her tenure as secretary of state has cast a cloud over her presidential campaign for the Nov. 8 election, raised questions among voters about her trustworthiness and given presidential rival Donald Trump an avenue of attack. 
 
Ryan&#39;s letter comes as congressional Republicans will get their first chance to grill FBI Director James Comey when he goes to Capitol Hill today to explain his decision not to recommend criminal charges against Clinton after a year-long investigation of her handling of classified emails while at state. 
 
Comey&#39;s testimony before the House Oversight Committee at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) will be the first time he has taken questions publicly since his announcement this week that the FBI was not recommending charges against Clinton. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch has accepted the FBI recommendation and will appear at a separate hearing next Tuesday. 
 
Comey said on Tuesday that 110 classified emails passed through Clinton&#39;s servers, which were not kept on a secure government server. He rebuked the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for &quot;extremely careless&quot; handling of classified information but said no reasonable prosecutor would charge her or her staff criminally. 
 
The Clinton campaign said it was pleased at the FBI&#39;s announcement and called the Republican-led call for Comey&#39;s hearing a &quot;taxpayer-funded sham of an inquiry&quot; intended to hurt Clinton politically. 
 
The Oversight Committee is chaired by Republican U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, known for his persistent questioning of Obama administration officials. 
 
Reputation for Independence 
 
Comey, a Republican who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama and also served in the administration of former Republican President George W. Bush, has built a reputation as a straight shooter who does not bend to pressure from either party. 
 
He has differed sharply with the Obama administration, most recently over gun control and whether high-profile police brutality cases had inhibited law enforcement from stopping crime. 
 
Questions about the propriety of Clinton&#39;s use of unauthorized email servers in her Chappaqua, New York, home during her time as secretary of state from January 2009 until February 2013 have raised questions about her judgment from all sides of the political spectrum. 
 
Despite clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton can expect a further onslaught of attacks from Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who has accused her of playing by a different set of rules from the American public. 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton can&#39;t keep her emails safe, and you know what, folks, she sure as hell can&#39;t keep our country safe,&quot; Trump told a recent rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, charging that the investigation was &quot;rigged&quot; in Clinton&#39;s favor. 
 
Comey left the door open for other actions in the case, including downgrading security clearances for anyone who mishandles classified information as Clinton and her staff did. 
 
(Reuters)

Ryan said denying Hillary Clinton classified briefings would be an appropriate sanction for her improper handling of classified email

The top elected US Republican formally asked the country's intelligence chief not to give Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton any classified information during the election campaign, according to a letter released today. House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan said in the letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that denying Clinton classified briefings during her run for the presidency would be an appropriate sanction for her improper handling of classified emails while secretary of state. Presidential candidates normally get access to classified information once they are formally nominated. The issue of Clinton's use of private email servers during her tenure as secretary of state has cast a cloud over her presidential campaign for the Nov. 8 election, raised questions among voters about her trustworthiness and given presidential rival Donald Trump an avenue of attack. Ryan's letter comes as congressional Republicans will get their first chance to grill FBI Director James Comey when he goes to Capitol Hill today to explain his decision not to recommend criminal charges against Clinton after a year-long investigation of her handling of classified emails while at state. Comey's testimony before the House Oversight Committee at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) will be the first time he has taken questions publicly since his announcement this week that the FBI was not recommending charges against Clinton. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch has accepted the FBI recommendation and will appear at a separate hearing next Tuesday. Comey said on Tuesday that 110 classified emails passed through Clinton's servers, which were not kept on a secure government server. He rebuked the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for "extremely careless" handling of classified information but said no reasonable prosecutor would charge her or her staff criminally. The Clinton campaign said it was pleased at the FBI's announcement and called the Republican-led call for Comey's hearing a "taxpayer-funded sham of an inquiry" intended to hurt Clinton politically. The Oversight Committee is chaired by Republican U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, known for his persistent questioning of Obama administration officials. Reputation for Independence Comey, a Republican who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama and also served in the administration of former Republican President George W. Bush, has built a reputation as a straight shooter who does not bend to pressure from either party. He has differed sharply with the Obama administration, most recently over gun control and whether high-profile police brutality cases had inhibited law enforcement from stopping crime. Questions about the propriety of Clinton's use of unauthorized email servers in her Chappaqua, New York, home during her time as secretary of state from January 2009 until February 2013 have raised questions about her judgment from all sides of the political spectrum. Despite clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton can expect a further onslaught of attacks from Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who has accused her of playing by a different set of rules from the American public. "Hillary Clinton can't keep her emails safe, and you know what, folks, she sure as hell can't keep our country safe," Trump told a recent rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, charging that the investigation was "rigged" in Clinton's favor. Comey left the door open for other actions in the case, including downgrading security clearances for anyone who mishandles classified information as Clinton and her staff did. (Reuters)

Speaker Paul Ryan formally asks that Clinton be denied classified data

The FBI will recommend to the Justice Department that no prosecution is warranted as a result of its year-long investigation into Hillary&nbsp;Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while secretary of state, agency Director James Comey said today.

Comey said the probe found there was evidence of extremely careless handling of emails by Clinton, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and that at least 110 emails contained classified information at the time they were sent.

But he said the FBI&#39;s judgment was that &quot;no reasonable prosecutor&quot; would bring charges against&nbsp;Clinton, who had a voluntary 3-1/2-hour interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Saturday in Washington.

&quot;We cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts,&quot; Comey told reporters in Washington.

The FBI has been investigating whether&nbsp;Clinton&nbsp;broke the law as result of a personal email server kept in her Chappaqua, New York, home while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. One of the questions is whether she mishandled classified information on the server.

The investigation has dogged&nbsp;Clinton&#39;s campaign for the past year, as she and her staff struggled to respond to accusations that her use of the server in violation of State Department protocol indicated she was untrustworthy and considered herself above the law.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said the investigation should disqualify Clinton&nbsp;from being president. 
 
(Reuters)

The bureau found evidence of extremely careless handing of emails but said 'no reasonable prosecutor' would bring charges against her

The FBI will recommend to the Justice Department that no prosecution is warranted as a result of its year-long investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state, agency Director James Comey said today. Comey said the probe found there was evidence of extremely careless handling of emails by Clinton, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and that at least 110 emails contained classified information at the time they were sent. But he said the FBI's judgment was that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring charges against Clinton, who had a voluntary 3-1/2-hour interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Saturday in Washington. "We cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts," Comey told reporters in Washington. The FBI has been investigating whether Clinton broke the law as result of a personal email server kept in her Chappaqua, New York, home while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. One of the questions is whether she mishandled classified information on the server. The investigation has dogged Clinton's campaign for the past year, as she and her staff struggled to respond to accusations that her use of the server in violation of State Department protocol indicated she was untrustworthy and considered herself above the law. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said the investigation should disqualify Clinton from being president. (Reuters)

Prosecution of Clinton not warranted in email case, FBI to tell Justice Department

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