Comey set to testify, but Trump could try to block him

WASHINGTON — Senators expect former FBI Director James Comey to testify next week about his conversations with President Donald Trump, congressional officials said Wednesday, setting up a test of the White House’s willing- ness to cooperate with investigations into Trump’s associates.

Putting the highly anticipated hearing on the calendar would force Trump to decide whether to invoke executive privilege and try to prevent Comey from testifying. Comey is expected to be asked about several conversations he had with the president, including one in which he says Trump encouraged him to stop investigating former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Separately, the House Intelligence Committee issued subpoenas Wednesday to Flynn and the president’s longtime lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, for documents and their testimony. And in an unusual move, the Republican chair- man of the House panel — who has recused himself from leading the investigation — unilaterally issued a series of subpoenas to the intelligence community. The chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is seeking information about how Obama administration officials handled sensitive information about Trump associates.

Comey’s testimony would b e t h e mos t s e n s a t i o n a l moment to date in a controversy that has dogged the Trump administration from its beginning. Congress and a Justice Department special counsel are investigating whether Trump’s associates colluded with Russia to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.