Former FBI Director James Comey describes in his new book how he often questioned why President Donald Trump was not willing to issue criticism of Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.
In excerpts from A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership published by Axios, Comey writes that he wondered if there was something more “complicated” to Trump’s relationship with Putin and Russia.
“I had often wondered why, when given numerous opportunities to condemn the Russian government’s invasions of its neighbors and repression — even murder — of its own citizens, Trump refused to just state the plain facts,” Comey writes.
“Maybe it was a contrarian streak or maybe it was something more complicated, that explained his constant equivocation and apologies for Vladimir Putin,” he added.
Comey’s firing last year led to the appointment of Robert Mueller, whose investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia has already indicted several former Trump associates with federal charges.
Democrats and other critics often point that Trump’s statements and actions on Russia are proof of the collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.
Comey also wrote in his book that “this president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values,” adding that “his leadership is transactional, ego-driven and about personal loyalty.”
As a result of the controversy in his book, on Friday President Trump blasted Comey, calling him a “LIAR & LEAKER.”
“James Comey is a proven LEAKER & LIAR. Virtually everyone in Washington thought he should be fired for the terrible job he did-until he was, in fact, fired. He leaked CLASSIFIED information, for which he should be prosecuted. He lied to Congress under OATH,” Trump tweeted.
Trump continued attacking Comey in a follow-up tweet, saying it was “my great honor to fire James Comey!
Meanwhile, in a new interview Friday morning, Comey said that it is “possible” that the so-called “pee tape,” a salacious claim made in the “Steele Dossier,” exists. “Pee Tape,” was the alleged video recording showing Trump ordering two prostitutes to pee on a bed in a Moscow hotel room where former President Barack Obama and Michele Obama have also stayed previously.
In the book, Comey also claims that at one point Trump asked him to investigate the matter and to prove that the tape does not exist.
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