Former FBI Director James Comey details in his memos the President’s “serious reservations” about then-national security adviser Michael Flynn as well as concerns about issues such as media leaks. The memos also detail President Donald Trump’s recollection of Russian President Vladimir Putin bragging to him that “the most beautiful hookers in the world” were in Russia.
CNN obtained the memos which were provided to Congress on Thursday and include documentation of seven conversations Comey had with Trump in the period between January 7, 2017 and April 11, 2017. Three of the notes are unclassified while the remaining four have been partially redacted.
The Comey memos have had a significant impact in that they led to Robert Mueller being appointed special counsel and have sparked President Trump’s criticism of Comey, whom he recently called “a leaker.” However, the 15-page-long notes which have now been made public also offer insight into how Comey and Trump tried to interact and coexist despite what the President described as the “cloud” of the Russia probe, before Comey was fired at the beginning of May last year, CNN writes.
House Republicans maintain that the memos, sent to congress by the Department of Justice, show that Comey is not credible and that they threaten any obstruction of justice case the special counsel would pursue against Trump for firing the former FBI director.
Following the release of the memos, President Trump tweeted, “James Comey Memos just out and show clearly that there was NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION. Also, he leaked classified information. WOW! Will the Witch Hunt continue?”
The most recurring themes in the conversations revolve around Trump and Comey’s discussions about finding the sources of the frequent leaks to the media, as well as the “golden showers thing.” According to one of Comey’s memos, Trump repeatedly claimed “there were no prostitutes; there were never prostitutes,” referring to his 2013 Moscow trip.
In yet another memo, Trump reiterates that “the hookers thing is nonsense” but also says the Russian president told him they had “some of the most beautiful hookers in the world.”
Comey also writes that the President said on January 27 he had “serious reservations” about Flynn, who soon left the administration and later pleaded guilty for lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russian officials.
The former FBI director also recounted in a March memo that Trump complained about the “cloud” hanging over him as a result of the Russia investigation. According to him, Trump allegedly said he would have won a Obamacare repeal vote if not for the cloud over Russia.
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