A new Washington Post report reveals that President Donald Trump asked the newly-confirmed Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats to intervene to "curtail" the FBI's Russian Federation probe during a March meeting in the Oval Office.
Former FBI director James Comey is set to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
One of the country's top intelligence leaders, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, said that President Trump asked him to intervene with James Comey and his investigation into his disgraced adviser, according to a report.
The Post story shows Trump tried multiple times to make the investigation go away by going to the "principal conductors" of those probes, former Post reporter Carl Bernstein told CNN.
After the encounter, Coats discussed the conversation with other officials and decided that intervening with Comey as Trump had suggested would be inappropriate, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal matters.
He will dispute the president's claims that he assured him on three occasions that he was not under investigation, according to the report. Trump joked during the gathering that his aide "has become much more famous than me".
Comey told associates he plans to testify that despite the unusual request from the president he believed strongly that if he did his job properly he could conduct the investigation in an honest way.
The White House has repeatedly denied that Trump tried to press Comey to end the investigation into Flynn or otherwise impeded the Russian Federation investigation.
Trump has repeatedly denied any coordination took place between his campaign and the Russian government, which, according to USA intelligence agencies, stole emails embarrassing to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and leaked them to undermine her campaign.
Comey has retained a lawyer, the source said, but added that the arrangement was just a precaution, as Comey did not feel vulnerable to any legal jeopardy related to his testimony. Days after Comey's firing, the Justice Department appointed Mueller to oversee the federal investigation. Hale said in a statement: "Director Coats does not discuss his private conversations with the President".
Related News:
-
Global airlines group advocates against laptop ban on flights
Meanwhile, it said Latin America and Middle East carriers are expected to earn US$800 million and US$400 million respectively. It said about half the industry profits are being generated in North America (US$15.4 billion).Virender Sehwag Among Contenders For India Coach Amid Row Over Anil Kumble
Coach should be somebody who is good for Indian cricket. "Yes I have applied for Team India coaching job". Meanwhile, CK Khanna, acting president of BCCI said the Indian board was in constant touch with the ICC.CCTV images of Manchester bomber on night of attack released
Armed police mingled with spectators as crowds gathered to watch the runners, including mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham. Police have released a photograph of Salman Abedi on the night of the Manchester terror attack , taken from CCTV footage. -
China to stick to Paris accord
In it the US had agreed to reduce its emissions by 26 percent by 2025 when compared to levels in 2005 - about 1.6 billion tons. If the U.S. backs out of the Paris Agreement , what would that look like? And even then, the USA must give a year's notice.Warriors' Kerr will not coach Game One of NBA Finals
They struggled for long stretches during the regular season, although they've managed to improve somewhat during the playoffs. How could it possibly get better than this? There's a difference between an athlete who is hated , and one who has haters .The Most Dramatic Moments on the Cannes Film Festival Red Carpet
The 20-year-old model flaunted her leggy physique in a thigh-skimming silk skirt which she wore with a matching white crop top. Deepika Padukone may have stunned everyone with her second outing on Thursday, but she wasn't the only one to do so. -
Coach Valverde leaving Athletic Bilbao
Athletic said Tuesday that the coach will give more details about his departure in a news conference on Wednesday. Now the situation is different and I have to consider whether I start a new project in another club.Phil Mickelson to Miss US Open to Attend Daughter's HS Graduation
Phil Mickelson has announced that he will miss this year's US Open to attend his daughter's High School graduation. Amanda, who will attend Brown University in the fall, is the class president and commencement speaker.Report car hits pedestrians on London Bridge, some said hurt
The Royal Oak pub, near the attack site, opened its doors to people evacuated from hotels inside the area cordoned off by police. After that attack, Britain's official threat level from terrorism was raised to "critical", meaning an attack may be imminent. -
Real Madrid celebrates 12th European Cup with fans in Spain
We won La Liga and the Champions League and that's very hard . "This season was wonderful again, last season was incredible ". Juventus became the first club in the history of the competition to break the €100m barrier for revenue.What you need to know about Venezuela's 'hunger bonds'
State Department's undersecretary for political affairs, as a group of countries pressed for "urgent action" to ease the crisis. The opposition-controlled Congress also voted on Tuesday to ask its United States counterpart to investigate the deal.LeBron James defers on Warriors thoughts: 'It's too stressful'
It's the matchup most expected , the matchup most predicted, and probably the matchup the Cavaliers and Warriors wanted as well. The Warriors could add the next-best player in the league that doesn't already play in Oakland, but it may not matter.