News / Politics

US House panel to ask Trump to present Comey firing documents

Tuesday, 05 September 2017 4:49 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 05 September 2017 4:50 PM ]

Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and ranking member Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) participate in a markup hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, March 29, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by AFP)

A United States House of Representatives committee has considered asking President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to provide documents related to the president's firing of FBI Director James Comey in May.

The House Judiciary Committee said on Tuesday this week it will consider a resolution of inquiry asking Trump to hand over to the House documents on Comey's termination, and directing Sessions to do the same.

On May 9, Trump fired Comey who was overseeing the investigation into potential Russian interference into last year's US presidential election, and an alleged collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and the Russians.

Trump has dismissed the allegations of collusion between anybody close to him in his election campaign and the Russians, describing the reports as "fake news" and calling the probe a "witch hunt."

Moscow, for its part, has denied any effort to influence the election, as well.

Comey's 'honesty'

Comey appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8. He testified under oath that Moscow had interfered in the 2016 presidential election, adding that he was fired by the president for not dropping the probe into the links between Trump's inner circle and the Russians.

US President Donald Trump (L) and then-FBI Director James Comey

“I saw on television the president saying he actually fired me because of the Russia investigation and learned again from the media that he was telling, privately, other parties that my firing had relieved 'great pressure' on the Russia investigation," Comey said at the testimony.

“It’s my judgment that I was fired because of the Russia investigation... the endeavor was to change the way the Russia investigation was being conducted,” Comey added.

Before firing Comey, President Trump had told Comey to not only drop the Russia probe, but also, pledge his “loyalty” to the US president if he wanted to keep his job. In respond to Trump's demand, Comey had reportedly promised the president his “honesty.”

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