Comey will testify publicly in Congress

WASHINGTON: James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by President Donald Trump, has agreed to publicly testify about Russian interference in the US elections, as fresh allegations increased pressure on the American leader.

In an Oval Office meeting with senior Russian officials last week, Trump called Comey a “nut job” and said firing the intelligence chief had relieved “great pressure” on him, The New York Times reported.

The exchange supports claims that Trump sacked Comey over the bureau’s probe into possible collusion between the real estate mogul’s campaign and Moscow.

The Washington Post meanwhile said the FBI has identified an unnamed senior White House official as a “significant person of interest” in its sprawling probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The reports highlighted how the controversy over his team’s alleged links to Moscow is dogging his fledgling presidency.

Comey will testify in open session of the Senate Intelligence Committee at some point after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, though a date has not yet been set.

The ex-FBI chief has not spoken publicly since his surprise firing last week.

“I am hopeful that he will clarify for the American people recent events that have been broadly reported in the media,” panel Chairman Richard Burr said in a statement.

The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said he expects Comey to “shed light on issues critical to this Committee’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.”