Former FBI director James Comey blasts Trump administration 'lies', efforts to 'defame me'
foto: independent.ie
In his opening remarks today to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, former FBI Director James Comey accused President Trump’s administration of working to "defame" him and the FBI, and telling "lies" to the American people, ABC News reports.
“Although the law requires no reason at all to fire an FBI director the administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, that the work force had lost confidence in its leader,” Comey said.
"Those were lies plain and simple. And I am so sorry that the FBI work force had to hear them and I am so sorry that the American people were told them.”
Comey, whom the president fired last month, chose not to repeat the statement he submitted to the committee, which was released Wednesday.
It describes a series of uncomfortable interactions with Trump, in which he says the president requested his loyalty and pressed him to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
“Although the law requires no reason at all to fire an FBI director the administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, that the work force had lost confidence in its leader,” Comey said.
"Those were lies plain and simple. And I am so sorry that the FBI work force had to hear them and I am so sorry that the American people were told them.”
Comey, whom the president fired last month, chose not to repeat the statement he submitted to the committee, which was released Wednesday.
It describes a series of uncomfortable interactions with Trump, in which he says the president requested his loyalty and pressed him to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.