Trump 'vindicated' following release of Comey's prepared testimony: Trump's lawyer
President Donald Trump's lawyer Marc Kasowitz said Wednesday the president feels "vindicated" following the release of a document detailing former FBI Director James Comey’s prepared remarks for his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday.
The document outlines several meetings Comey had with President Trump, including instances where he assured the president he was not personally the subject of a federal investigation.
"The President is pleased that Mr. Comey has finally publicly confirmed his private reports that the president was not under investigation in any Russian probe. The president feels completely and totally vindicated. He is eager to continue to move forward with his agenda," Kasowitz's statement read.
During one meeting with the president, Comey says “without him directly asking the question, I offered that assurance [that he was not the subject of an investigation].” The document recounts instances where the president asked then-FBI director to help publicly confirm that he was not the subject of a federal investigation.
President Trump also reportedly asked Comey in February whether he intended to drop the investigation into former United States National Security Advisor Gen. Michael Flynn, saying: “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go,” the document shows. Comey recalls taking the matter, which he believed only referred to accusations against Flynn for conversations with a Russian ambassador and not the Russian probe as a whole, to the FBI's senior leadership, but no one else. He said the FBI leadership team didn’t go to Attorney General Jeff Sessions because Sessions would likely be recusing himself from the Russia probe and the FBI decided to keep it “very closely held.”
Comey alleges that the president told him in January that he needed and expected “loyalty” and at one point Comey confirmed he could give "honest loyalty." He also made a request to Sessions that he have no future “direct communication” with Trump, which allegedly went unanswered.
President Trump fired Comey from his position as FBI director on May 9. On Wednesday morning the Trump administration announced a new nominee to take Comey's spot, Christopher Wray.