Former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday accused President Trump of telling “lies” about his leadership of the FBI, and said Trump’s decision to fire him “confused me and concerned me.”
Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Trump initially told him he was doing a “great job,” but then said later he fired Comey because of the Russia investigation.
“The shifting explanations confused me and increasingly concerned me,” he said. “They confused me because the president and I had multiple conversations about my job, both before and after he took office, and he had repeatedly told me I was doing a great job, and he hoped I would stay.”
“So it confused me when I saw on television the president saying that he actually fired me because of the Russia investigation, and learned again from the media that he was telling privately other parties that my firing had relieved great pressure on the Russia investigation,” he added.
“The administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI, by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, and that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader,” Comey said. “Those were lies, plain and simple.”
Comey’s harsh words came after the release of his public testimony that many Republicans said was mostly harmless to Trump himself. However, Comey’s accusation that Trump told “lies” is something that could lead to more questions about Trump’s leadership in the weeks ahead.
Comey said because he was fired so abruptly, he hadn’t had a chance to say farewell to his colleagues in the bureau.
“I am so sorry that the FBI workforce had to hear it, and I’m so sorry that the American people were told that,” he said.
Comey said the FBI will be fine without him, that the bureau “is and always will be independent,” and asked the men and women of the FBI to do their good work “as long as you can.”
