President Donald Trump said that the former director of the FBI, James Comey "was untruthful" at a hearing in the Senate Intelligence Committee last Thursday.
Answering the journalists' questions in Washington on Friday, Trump stated that he had not asked Comey to stop the investigation into General Michael Flynn's suspected ties to Russia. Trump also said that he never asked Comey about "loyalty" - contrary to Comey's words.
A former FBI director at the Senate hearings insisted on his version of these events, giving testimony under oath. A lie under oath is considered as a criminal offense in the United States.
On Friday Trump said that he is ready to confirm his words under oath "one hundred percent".
Pres. Trump: '100 percent' willing to speak under oath https://t.co/X7Dvlf41r4
— VICKY VERMA (@verma2470) June 10, 2017
Comey is a leaker
Particularly, Trump denied the attempt of his influence on Comey to stop the investigation about the relations between the former Trump's adviser Michael Flynn and Russia.
"I did not say that," Trump claimed.
At a news conference with the Romanian President Trump said that he hardly knew that man, and he did not want him to pledge allegiance, but someone should have done that.
Trump was publicly silent during Comey's testifying on Thursday, but on Friday he tweeted that Comey, whom he fired in May, had lied under oath.
"No collusion, no obstruction, he is a leaker," Trump said at a Rose Garden news conference.
Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication...and WOW, Comey is a leaker!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2017
Donald Trump's lawyer Marc Kasowitz is preparing a complaint against the former director of the FBI, James Comey, to the Justice Department and the US Senate Judiciary Committee.
This is reported by CNN.
Recording conversations in the Oval Office
At the news conference on Friday, Trump answered some questions very aggressively, but politely answered others.
Answering a question whether he had an audio record of conversations with Comey, President Trump replied that the press would know about that soon.
Earlier, for two weeks the Congressional Intelligence Committee had been calling the White House to get any interview records if any existed.
Muller replaced Comey
In early May, Trump fired Comey saying that he had not been able to perform his duties. The director of the FBI had been investigating President Trump about alleged "ties with Russia," which was denied both in the White House and in the Kremlin.
Robert Mueller was appointed as a special adviser to investigate the case of Russia's "interference" in the presidential elections in 2016.
