Since former FBI Director James Comey was fired on May 9, the nation has been waiting to hear from him about the ongoing Trump-Russia scandal. He has previously suggested he would be open to testifying before Congress in open hearings, and CNN reported on Wednesday that Comey plans to testify that President Trump pressured him to end the FBI investigation into Trump's campaign. The hearing could be as early as next week.
According to CNN's anonymous source, Comey has met with Special Counsel Robert Mueller III to talk about the upcoming testimony and will have a formal interview with Mueller after he appears before the Senate.
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The Senate Intelligence Committee asked Comey to testify in both open and closed sessions earlier this month, also requesting Comey's notes on any communications with senior White House and Department of Justice officials related to the FBI's Russia investigation. At the time, Comey signaled that he would only testify in hearings open to the public.
His testimony is expected to reveal more about his interactions with President Trump leading up to his firing. The decision to oust Comey immediately raised questions, as he was leading an investigation into the president's campaign, including Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Even people who had criticized the way Comey handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email use, including former Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, were skeptical of the reasons for his termination.
On May 16, The New York Times reported the president asked Comey to end the probe into Flynn's Russian ties, and a few days later reported that Trump told Russian officials firing Comey took "great pressure" off him during a meeting on May 10.
Why Comey was fired is significant because if President Trump fired him with the intention of stopping or interfering in the FBI's Russia probe, it could be considered obstruction of justice. If this was the case, and there was proof, it could lead Congress to call for Trump's impeachment.
America isn't there yet, but Comey's testimony could bolster claims that Trump sought to interfere.
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