Former FBI Director James Comey will not be participating in a closed-door hearing next week with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
“Because of a previously scheduled engagement, Jim will not be testifying at this hearing,” Comey’s attorney Daniel Richman said, per Politico.
Other former leaders of the intelligence community — former National Intelligence Director James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former NSA Director Adm. Mike Rogers — are planning to attend the hearing on Wednesday.
Members of the U.S. intelligence community released a report in January 2017 stating they determined with “high confidence” Russian President Vladimir Putin approved an “influence campaign” during the 2016 election that would assist Trump and negatively impact his opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Earlier this week, the Senate intelligence panel released an unclassified version of a report that argued Russia participated in an “unprecedented, coordinated cyber campaign” against the nation’s voting systems as part of their own probe into Russian interference.
Comey was fired by President Trump in May 2017. Trump initially said Comey was fired per the suggestion of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, but then said shortly thereafter the “Russia thing” was a factor.
After Sessions recused himself from all 2016 election inquiries last year, Rosenstein took over to oversee Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin.
Comey is in the middle of his publicity tour for A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, his memoir that was released last month.
