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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/jun/08/james-comey-testimony-senate-hearing-trump-russia-fbi
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James Comey hearing: Trump had 'chilling effect' on Russia investigation – live | |
(35 minutes later) | |
6.56pm BST | |
18:56 | |
Times 'looking into' Comey dispute with story | |
While much of Comey’s testimony corroborated reporting by the New York Times and others about the Russia investigation, Comey said one Times story was “almost entirely wrong.” | |
We are looking into James Comey's statements, and we will report back with more information as soon as we can. https://t.co/v9OzWbbjUP | |
The story in question is a 14 February dispatch, “Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence.” | |
6.52pm BST | |
18:52 | |
Reaction | |
Democratic senators: | |
Sen. Tom Udall: "I believe that is appropriate for President Trump’s actions to be investigated for obstruction of justice." | |
Sen. Murphy: “It’s hard to overstate the impact of Jim Comey’s testimony today … it seems like the walls are closing in on this president” pic.twitter.com/I0EyZvBi2z | |
Former US attorney Preet Bharara: | |
I'm not so sure I agree 100% with your police work there, Lindsey. And stop speculating about a hypothesis. https://t.co/4LbCoHmTpX | |
House speaker Paul Ryan, on Trump: | |
He’s just new to this” and “probably wasn’t steeped in long-running protocols.” | |
6.40pm BST | |
18:40 | |
Here’s a live video stream of the upcoming Marc Kasowitz press conference: | |
6.39pm BST | |
18:39 | |
‘I took it as a direction’ | |
VIDEO: James Comey said he took Trump's "hope" that Flynn investigation would end as a directive. https://t.co/Y9bMFD5VsV pic.twitter.com/NKjGVQ2n2b | |
6.29pm BST | |
18:29 | |
Trump lawyer to respond | |
Trump’s private lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, is due to give a press conference apparently before long replying to Comey. We’ll cover that here. | |
Trump on Comey: no comment. | |
Trump finishes his speech at the Faith and Freedom conference without a single reference to Comey or today's hearing. | |
Pence on Comey: no comment. | |
From a pool report: | |
Vice President Mike Pence did not address former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony, including his assertion that President Trump lied after firing him about the bureau being in disarray. He praised Trump’s leadership at several points during his remarks. | |
6.22pm BST | |
18:22 | |
Former FBI director James Comey is done testifying in the open session. He now goes into a closed session with the senators. | |
Here’s what happened: | |
Comey said he understood an expression by Donald Trump of “hope” that he could shelve an investigation of Michael Flynn as a direction to do so. | |
Comey said Trump’s direction reminded him of Henry II ordering the murder of Becket: “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?” | |
Comey said he believes when Trump fired him, “the endeavor was to change the way the Russia investigation was being conducted. That is a very big deal, not just because it’s me...” | |
Comey said it was “a really significant fact to me” that Trump had asked senior White House officials to leave the room before bringing up Flynn. | |
Comey did not report the scene widely within the FBI for fear of “a real chilling effect” on the Russia investigation, he said. | |
Comey said Trump had not asked him to shelve the Russia investigation, apart from the Flynn piece. | |
Comey said Trump demanded three things: personal loyalty; that Comey let Flynn go; and that Comey state publicly that Trump was not personally under investigation. | |
While Comey declined to speculate on whether Trump had committed an obstruction of justice, saying that was special counsel Robert Mueller’s job, Trump opponents argued that Comey’s description of the Flynn affair and of his own firing had established just that. | |
Trump supporters pointed to Comey’s point-blank denial that Trump had ever asked him to shelve the Russia investigation as exculpatory for Trump. | |
Comey said Trump’s tweeted threat about tapes of their conversations led him to ask a friend to share memos he took of his meetings with Trump with the media. | |
Comey began taking the memos, he said, because “I was honestly concerned that he [Trump] might lie about the nature of our meeting.” | |
“The president surely knows whether he taped me, and if he did my feelings aren’t hurt,” Comey said. “Release all the tapes, I’m good with it.” “Lordy I hope there are tapes,” he said. | |
Comey raised an alarm about Russian tampering in the election, saying the effort was major, continuous and that “they’ll be back.” | |
Comey declined to comment on whether he thought Trump colluded with Russia. He acknowledged advising Trump that he was not personally under investigation. | |
Comey said there was information about attorney general Jeff Sessions “that would make his presence in a continued Russia investigation problematic” but he wouldn’t say what it was. | |
Comey began his testimony by saying that Trump had defamed him and smeared the FBI. | |
Comey said though not in so many words that Trump lied on national TV when he told NBC News that Comey had requested to meet him for dinner. | |
5.55pm BST | 5.55pm BST |
17:55 | 17:55 |
The committee leaders are speaking to the press. | The committee leaders are speaking to the press. |
"This is nowhere near the end of the investigation," @senatorburr tells reporters after #ComeyHearing pic.twitter.com/YFToKS8Nj4 | "This is nowhere near the end of the investigation," @senatorburr tells reporters after #ComeyHearing pic.twitter.com/YFToKS8Nj4 |
5.54pm BST | 5.54pm BST |
17:54 | 17:54 |
Here’s the view from Drudge: | Here’s the view from Drudge: |
DRUDGE just updated his headlines -- this is a good rundown of what narrative in pro-Trump universe will be like pic.twitter.com/BOc9264S6h | DRUDGE just updated his headlines -- this is a good rundown of what narrative in pro-Trump universe will be like pic.twitter.com/BOc9264S6h |
5.51pm BST | 5.51pm BST |
17:51 | 17:51 |
It's weird to see severs and bartenders hustling to get people their checks because a senate hearing has just ended. 🇺🇸 | It's weird to see severs and bartenders hustling to get people their checks because a senate hearing has just ended. 🇺🇸 |
Me looking at Twiiter as both sides call #ComeyDay a victory — pic.twitter.com/fNsJG7rNRK | Me looking at Twiiter as both sides call #ComeyDay a victory — pic.twitter.com/fNsJG7rNRK |
5.49pm BST | 5.49pm BST |
17:49 | 17:49 |
Here’s Comey interpreting the moment of awkward silence at dinner with Trump: | Here’s Comey interpreting the moment of awkward silence at dinner with Trump: |
Best part of hearing was Comey doing the trump eyebrow impression tbh pic.twitter.com/J721wNkTa1 | Best part of hearing was Comey doing the trump eyebrow impression tbh pic.twitter.com/J721wNkTa1 |