The 15 pages of documents contain new details about a series of interactions with Donald Trump that Comey found so unnerving that he documented them in writing
James Comey is on a tour to promote his new book, A Higher Loyalty
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President Donald Trump told former FBI Director James Comey that he had serious concerns about the judgment of his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and Trump's chief of staff asked days later if Flynn's communications were being monitored under a secret surveillance warrant, according to memos maintained by Comey.
Donald Trump. Pics/AFP
Trump also told Comey that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Russia had "some of the most beautiful hookers in the world" even as he adamantly, and repeatedly, distanced himself from a salacious allegation involving prostitutes in Moscow, the documents state. The 15 pages of documents contain new details about a series of interactions with Trump that Comey found so unnerving that he documented them in writing.
Those encounters in the weeks before Comey's May 2017 firing include a Trump Tower discussion about a possible encounter between Trump and prostitutes in Moscow; a White House dinner at which Comey says Trump asked him for his loyalty; and a private Oval Office discussion where the ex-FBI head says the president asked him to end an investigation into Flynn.
The documents had been eagerly anticipated since their existence was first revealed last year, especially since Comey's interactions with Trump are part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether the president sought to obstruct justice. The memos have been turned over to Mueller.
According to one memo, Trump complained about Flynn at a private January 2017 dinner with Comey, saying "the guy has serious judgment issues." He then blamed Flynn for a delay in returning a congratulatory call from an international leader, telling Comey he would be upset if he had to wait six days for a returned phone call.
At that point, the FBI had already interviewed Flynn about his contacts with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, and the Justice Department had already warned White House officials that they were concerned Flynn was vulnerable to blackmail. Flynn was fired on February 13, 2017, after White House officials said he had misled them about his Russian contacts during the transition period by saying that he had not discussed sanctions.
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