Russia interfered in US elections, says James Comey

Accusing the White House of defaming him with “lies”, fired FBI director James Comey on Thursday said it was “very disturbing” that US President Donald Trump asked him to stop probing the Russia links of one of his top aide.

“Those were lies, plain and simple, and I’m so sorry that the FBI workforce had to hear them, and I’m so sorry the American people were told that,” he said in his testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Asked about a dinner he had with Trump on January 27, just days after his inauguration, Comey said the US president was trying to establish a “patronage relationship.” Describing that dinner, he said, “My common sense told me that what was going on is, either he thought or someone told him, ‘you have already asked Comey to stay, and you did not get anything for it.’ And the Trump had demanded my ‘loyalty’.

“What the president whispered in my ear was, I really look forward to working with you...I’m sitting there thinking, three times we’ve already talked about me staying. My common sense told me, he’s looking to get something in exchange...” Comey said.

When senator Dianne Feinstein asked Comey why he didn’t stop and say, “Mr president this is wrong” over the Flynn probe, Comey said “maybe if I were stronger I would have. I was so stunned by the conversation that I just took it in.”

When he was asked how his colleagues reacted when Trump asked him to “let it go” (about the Flynn investigation), Comey said: “They were shocked,” and “they were very concerned.”

Responding to a question from Senator Burr, Comey said he has no doubt that the Russians attempted to interfere in the the 2016 elections.

Trump, Comey said, told him repeatedly that he had talked to lots of people about him, including his current attorney general, and had learned that he was doing a great job.