Comey: Trump asked for ‘loyalty’, wanted investigation dropped

World Today

A day before his testimony, more details on what fired FBI Chief, James Comey, will say about the U.S. President.

According to a copy of his opening remarks, Comey says that Donald Trump wanted him to “lift the cloud” caused by the Russia investigation.

CGTN’s Nathan King goes into the details.

The last time Comey testified to the U.S. Congress, he was head of the FBI.

Now he is not. In highly detailed statement, he said that on several occasions the president asked him to drop investigations looking into links between the Trump campaign and Russia.

In an Oval Office meeting, Comey claims that Trump asked him to drop the investigation into his disgraced former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

Flynn has admitted to giving “incomplete information” about undisclosed meetings and communications with Russian officials.

Comey recounts his conversation with Trump, explaining that “He then said, ‘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.'”

In March, Comey claims that Trump asked him to “lift the cloud” over his administration and drop the investigation. And, at a private White House dinner, Comey claims Trump asked him for “loyalty” several times.

The silver lining in this statement for Trump is that it confirms his assertion that Comey told him several time that he personally was not under investigation. Comey confirms this but said he didn’t make it public, as the President wanted, just in case an investigation into Trump was opened at a later date.

There will be intense questioning of James Comey, about whether he thinks the sitting president obstructed justice. We will have to wait and see what the former FBI head has to say.