Comey: Russia investigation first centered on 4 Americans

lic criticism of the criminal justice system, saying “we have become numb to lying and attacks on the rule of WASHINGTON — The FBI’s law by the president,” and counterintelligence invesTrump’s suggestion that it tigation into potential ties should be a crime for subbetween the Trump camjects to “flip” and cooperate paign and Russia initially with investigators. focused on four Americans “It’s a shocking suggestion and whether they were concoming from any senior offi- nected to Russian efforts to cial, no less the president. interfere in the 2016 presiIt’s a critical and legitimate dential election, former FBI part of the entire justice sysDirector James Comey told tem in the United States,” lawmakers during hours of Comey said. closed-door questioning. In offering some details of

Comey did not identify the investigation’s origins, the Americans but said Pres- Comey said it had started in ident Donald Trump, then July 2016 with a look at “four the Republican candidate, Americans who had some was not among them. connection to Mr. Trump

The House Judiciary Comduring the summer of 2016” mittee released a transcript and whether they were tied of the interview on Saturday, to “the Russian interference just 24 hours after privately effort.” grilling the fired FBI chief He reiterated that the about investigative decisions investiga t ion was not related to Hillary Clinton’s prompted by a Democratemail server and Trump’s ically funded opposition campaign and potential ties research — often referred to Russia. The Russia investo as the “Steele dossier” tigation is now being run — but rather contacts forby special counsel Robert mer Trump foreign policy Mueller, and Comey largely adviser George Papadopoudodged questions connected los had with an intermedito that probe — including ary during the campaign, a whether his May 2017 fir- finding confirmed by House ing by Trump constituted Republicans. obstruction of justice. The investigation was

The Republican-led com- prompted by “information mittee interviewed Comey we’d received about a conas part of its investigation versation that a Trump forinto FBI actions in 2016, a eign — campaign foreign polyear when the bureau — in icy adviser had with an indithe heat of the presidential vidual in London about stocampaign — recommended len emails that the Russians against charges for Clinton had that would be harmful to and opened an investigation Hillary Clinton,” Comey said. into Russian interference in P apadopoulos was the election. released from prison on

The questioning largely Friday after serving a brief centered on well-covered sentence for lying to the FBI territory from a Justice about that conversation. Department inspector gen“It was weeks or months eral report, Comey’s own later that the so-called Steele book and interviews and dossier came to our attenhours of public testimony tion,” he added. on Capitol Hill. But Comey He also said that President also used the occasion to Barack Obama never ordered take aim at Trump’s pub- him to have the FBI surveil or infiltrate the Trump campaign.

Comey said that by the time of his firing, the FBI had not come to a conclusion about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia’s efforts to sway the presidential election.

He insisted that the FBI would recover from the president’s steady attacks on the bureau.

“The FBI will be fine. It will snap back, as will the rest of our institutions,” Comey said. “There will be shortterm damage, which worries me a great deal, but in the long run, no politician, no president can, in a lasting way, damage those institutions.”