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Two Senate panels seek Comey memos, Intel wants testimony

Posted at 11:00 AM, May 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-17 14:00:44-04

Two Senate committees are seeking memos former FBI Director James Comey wrote related to whether President Donald Trump asked him to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The Senate intelligence committee first requested from the FBI copies of his memos, said the panel's top Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner, as well as asking Comey to testify.

Warner would not say if Comey had accepted the committee's invitation -- sent Wednesday -- but said he was confident Comey will appear.

"I believe the American people will get a chance to hear from Director Comey shortly," Warner said.

Shortly after Warner's comments, the committee released a statement from him and chairman Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, reiterating their request for Comey to testify and to acting director Andrew McCabe to turn over documents "regarding any communications he may have had with senior White House and Department of Justice officials related to investigations into Russia's efforts."

Later, the Senate judiciary committee whose subcommittee is also investigating Russian meddling into the US election, requested that the FBI "provide all memos relating to former FBI Director Comey's interactions with his superiors in both the Trump and Obama administrations," according to a statement.

The committee also asked the White House to "provide records of interactions with former Director Comey, including any audio recordings," an apparent reference to Trump's suggestion that tapes might exist of his conversations with Comey.

On Tuesday, the House intelligence committee also formally requested similar documents from the FBI. That came hours after The New York Times reported on a memo authored by Comey that said Trump asked the then-FBI director end his investigation into Flynn.