Trump ‘tried to stop FBI Flynn inquiry’
President said to have asked former FBI chief to back off compromised national security adviser
Donald Trump was facing allegations last night that he tried to directly influence the FBI investigation into links between his aides and Russia. It was reported that the US president asked James Comey, the former FBI director, to end an investigation into Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser. Democrats claimed Mr Trump could be guilty of obstruction of justice. The White House denied the reports.
DONALD TRUMP asked James Comey, the former FBI director, to end an investigation into Michael Flynn’s links to Russia, it was reported last night.
“I hope you can let this go,” Mr Trump reportedly told Mr Comey, the day after Mr Flynn, the former national security adviser, had resigned over his undeclared contacts with Moscow.
The New York Times cited a memo that Mr Comey wrote shortly after the meeting with the US president in early February. Mr Trump fired Mr Comey, who was leading the investigation into links between the Trump campaign and Russia, last week.
If confirmed, the request would be evidence that the US president had directly tried to influence the FBI investigation.
Democrats last night said such an act would classify as an obstruction of justice and that Mr Trump could face impeachment.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said he was “shocked” by the reports, that “history is watching” and “the country is being tested in unprecedented ways”.
Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat leader in the House of Representatives, described Mr Trump’s behaviour, if as reported in Mr Comey’s notes, as “an assault on the rule of law”.
“At best, President Trump has committed a grave abuse of executive power,” she said. “At worst, he has obstructed justice.”
Angus King, an independent senator from Maine, said he now “reluctantly” believed that impeachment was on the table for Mr Trump.
According to two unnamed sources speaking to the newspaper, Mr Comey documented his interactions with Mr Trump because he perceived the US president was improperly attempting to influence the investigation.
“I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,” Mr Trump allegedly told Mr Comey. “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.”
According to the report of the memo, all Mr Comey replied was: “I agree he is a good guy.”
The White House said the report was “not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr Comey” and that Mr Trump never asked his former FBI director to end any investigations involving him.
Andrew Mccabe, the acting FBI director, told the Senate inquiry into Russia’s role in the presidential campaign last week that the White House had not interfered with the FBI’S investigation. There was no statement from the FBI last night.
Notes from an FBI agent are generally viewed in court as credible evidence of conversations.
The latest revelations came as Israel vowed to stand by the US after it emerged that Tel Aviv was the source of top secret intelligence that Mr Trump disclosed to Russian diplomats.
During an Oval Office meeting with with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak on May 10, Mr Trump discussed the classified information about an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) plot to hide bombs in laptop computers on airliners.
Officials told the New York Times the ally that provided the details of the plot was Israel, raising fears that Russia could identify the source of the intelligence and in turn share this with Iran.
Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the US, said Tel Aviv had “full confidence in our intelligence-sharing relationship with the United States” and looked forward to “deepening that relationship in the years ahead under President Trump”.
Mr Trump faced a storm of criticism from both Democrats and Republicans but said he had an “absolute right” to share information, and indicated he had wanted to engage Russia in the fight against Isil.
The president, due to visit Israel next week on his first trip abroad since taking office, said: “As president I wanted to share with Russia, at an openly scheduled White House meeting, which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining to terrorism and airline flight safety.”
In a series of tweets, he said it was for “humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against Isil and terrorism”. Later, he addressed the situation while appearing at the White House with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president.
Asked repeatedly whether classified information had been shared he did not deny that it had. He said: “We had a very, very successful meeting with the foreign minister of Russia. Our fight is against Isil.”
His comments appeared to undermine previous statements by White House staff, who had denied classified information was shared with the Russians. The Kremlin also issued a denial. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said: “This is another piece of nonsense.”
According to the Washington Post, at the May 10 meeting Mr Trump disclosed the city in Isil territory where information about the electronics plot had originated. That was reportedly “code word” information, a level above top secret, meaning the ally wanted it “compartmentalised” and not shared with third countries, or even parts of the US government.
Intelligence experts said Russia may be able to discover the source of the information, putting the source, and US relations with intelligence allies, in danger.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said he could not comment on whether Israel was the source.
But he said the US appreciated the “strong relationship that we have with Israel when it comes to intelligencesharing”.
The furore came amid speculation that Mr Spicer could be replaced.