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Comey sought more resources for Russia probe days before he was fired by President Trump, officials say
| Washington Post | - |
Last
week, then-FBI Director James B. Comey requested more resources from
the Justice Department for his bureau's investigation into collusion
between the ...
Comey sought more resources for Russia probe days before he was fired by President Trump, officials say
The turmoil surrounding former FBI Director
James Comey and President Trump started long before Comey was fired on
May 9. Here are the pivotal moments in Comey's time as head of the
agency.
(Jenny Starrs, Julio Negron/The Washington Post)
Comey, who was fired by President Trump on Tuesday, made the request in a meeting last week with Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, and later briefed the chair and Democratic ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday, the officials said.
[With Comey's dismissal, the Russia investigation will soon be run by Trump allies]
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Later, at a regular meeting of Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Warner informed them that Comey told the two committee chiefs about his request for more resources, said two officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
However, Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said reports that Comey had requested more funding or other resources for the Russia investigation are “totally false.” Such a request, she said, “did not happen.”
Rosenstein wrote the memo that was used to justify Trump’s swift and unexpected firing of Comey on Tuesday evening.
The news was first reported by the New York Times.
Asked by reporters Wednesday whether she was briefed by Comey on requests for additional funding for the investigation, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), a member of the Intelligence Committee, said: “I was not. But I understand that there have been additional requests. That's all I can say.”
It's unclear where the FBI investigation stands. Comey acknowledged publicly in March that the FBI was looking into possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign, and he said the investigation had begun in late July. Comey said that for a counterintelligence probe, “that’s a fairly short period of time.”
Law enforcement officials are also examining contacts between former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russian officials.
The Washington Post's Philip Rucker explains
how and why FBI director James Comey was fired, as well as how the FBI's
investigation of the Trump campaign's possible connections with Russia
may be impacted.
(Whitney Shefte/The Washington Post)
Listen below to reporter Matt Zapotosky explain what we know so far, on the “Can He Do That?” podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
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