Former FBI Director Calls on Republicans to Tell the “Truth” About Trump
Comey accused Trump of undermining US law and called on Republican lawmakers to "stand up and tell the truth" about the president's behavior.
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Former FBI Director James Comey. Photo:Reuters. |
"The president of the United States is lying about the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), attacking the FBI and attacking the rule of law in this country. What direction does that take?" former FBI Director James Comey told reporters on December 17 after a five-hour hearing at the US House Judiciary and Oversight Committees.Reutersreport
Comey was fired by President Donald Trump in May 2017 while leading an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow. This is Comey's second time testifying before the House of Representatives this month.
Comey said lawmakers were again asking about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails and the dossier that Republicans claim was used to justify a secret surveillance order on a Trump campaign aide.
"Republicans who understood the actions and words of a president were problematic, the laws were problematic, and the facts were problematic. Where are those Republicans now?" Comey asked. "At some point, some people have to stand up for the values of this country and then have to retire, but stand up and tell the truth."
Trump called special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian election interference a "witch hunt" and tweeted on December 16 that his former lawyer Michael Cohen was a "rat" for cooperating with prosecutors. Trump also accused FBI agents of breaking into Cohen's office even though they were acting on orders.
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison last week for tax evasion, bank fraud and illegal campaign contributions. The former lawyer has said he acted at Trump's direction, while the US president has denied it, calling Cohen a "liar".
When asked to comment on the president calling Cohen a rat, Comey said "it undermines the rule of law." "The FBI's reputation has been greatly damaged by the president of the United States and his aides repeatedly lying about the agency," Comey said when asked if Trump bore any responsibility for damaging the FBI's reputation.