Trump faces order to release ‘secret tapes’ of FBI boss
Senate committee demands evidence... if it exists
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump could be forced to release ‘secret tapes’ of his conversations with ousted FBI boss James Comey as early as this week.
A letter demanding the tapes, if they exist, was sent to White House lawyers late on Friday by representatives of the Senate intelligence committee probing Mr Trump’s alleged ties to Russia.
Mr Comey made international headlines this week when he testified before the committee about three face-toface meetings with Mr Trump in which the president allegedly demanded a ‘pledge of loyalty’ and asked that the FBI back off its Russia probe.
Mr Comey made notes of the Trump meetings in January and February, which he leaked after he was fired last month. He told the committee that he began taking notes on the meetings because he thought the president might lie about what was said.
Mr Trump has hinted that he recorded the private meetings, tweeting: ‘James Comey better hope that there are no “tapes” of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!’
On Friday, Mr Trump declared he was ‘100%’ willing to testify under oath that Mr Comey was lying about their conversations but refused to confirm the existence of the tapes telling reporters: ‘I’ll tell you about that maybe sometime in the near future.’ He then added cryptically: ‘You’re going to be very disappointed when you hear the answer, don’t worry.’
Mr Comey, who claims he was fired because he refused to back down in the Russian probe, said of the tapes: ‘Lordy, I hope there are tapes.’
He said he wrote down details of the meetings with Mr Trump ‘immediately after they happened’ because he felt ‘uncomfortable’.
He later leaked details of the notes to the media via a friend. Mr Comey has already agreed to turn over his notes to the senate committee.
A White House source said: ‘At the moment this is a case of “he said, he said”. ‘The tapes, if they exist, are key. If Trump has them, he must hand them over immediately.
‘The committee members have vowed to make them public immediately. The sooner this is resolved the sooner we can all move on.
‘Those tapes are at the heart of this conflict. If they exist they could vindicate Trump – or brand him a liar.’
President Trump denies asking Mr Comey for loyalty, saying during a press conference on Friday: ‘No, I didn’t say that.’
He attacked Mr Comey’s testimony as ‘lies’ in a tweet: ‘Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication.’
He also seized on the former FBI chief’s revelations that he had leaked memos of their conversations to the press via a friend, tweeting: ‘WOW, Comey is a leaker!’ news@mailonsunday.ie
Trump: ‘100% willing to testify under oath’ Without tapes, this is just ‘he said, he said’