In Comey memos, Trump fixates on ‘hookers,’ frets over Flynn

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a series of startlingly candid conversations, President Donald Trump suggested dilapidated FBI Director James Comey that he had serious considerations referring to the judgment of a high adviser, asked referring to the chance of jailing journalists and described a boast from Vladimir Putin about Russian prostitutes, basically based on Comey’s notes of the talks got by The Associated Press on Thursday evening.

The 15 pages of documents accumulate new facts about a series of interactions with Trump that Comey realized so unnerving that he chose to record them in writing. These seven encounters within the weeks and months sooner than Comey’s Would possibly perhaps perhaps 2017 firing encompass a Trump Tower discussion about allegations difficult Trump and prostitutes in Moscow; a White House dinner at which Comey says Trump asked him for his loyalty; and a non-public Oval Place of work discussion where the ex-FBI head says the president asked him to entire an investigation into Michael Flynn, the dilapidated White House nationwide security adviser.

The documents had been eagerly anticipated since their existence used to be first published closing year, especially since Comey’s interactions with Trump are an necessary phase of particular counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether the president sought to hinder justice. Behind Thursday evening, Trump tweeted that the memos « show clearly that there used to be NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION. »

The president also accused Comey of leaking labeled recordsdata. The memos got by the AP had been unclassified, though some parts had been blacked out as labeled. Particulars from Comey’s memos reported in news reviews closing year appear to return from the unclassified parts.

In explaining the rationale of creating the memos, which accumulate been equipped to Mueller, Comey has acknowledged he « knew there might well attain a day when I could need a file of what had came about » to defend no longer simplest himself but the FBI as smartly.

The memos duvet the first three months of the Trump administration, a period of upheaval marked by team turnover, a cascade of detrimental headlines and revelations of an FBI investigation into doable ties between the Trump marketing and marketing campaign and Russia. The documents scream Trump’s uneasiness about that investigation, though no longer always in programs that Comey looked as if it might well await.

In a February 2017 dialog, as an instance, Trump suggested Comey how Putin suggested him, « we have just among the most edifying hookers within the enviornment » at the same time as he adamantly, and time and again, distanced himself from a salacious allegation referring to him and prostitutes in Moscow, basically based on one memo.

In a single other memo, Comey recounts how Trump at a non-public White House dinner pointed his fingers at his head and complained that Flynn, his embattled nationwide security adviser, « has serious judgment points. » The president blamed Flynn for failing to alert him promptly to a congratulatory name from a world chief, causing a lengthen for Trump in returning a message to an official whose title is redacted within the documents.

« I did no longer statement at any point one day of this topic and there used to be no mention or acknowledgment of any FBI interest in or contact with Overall Flynn, » Comey wrote.

By that point, the FBI had already interviewed Flynn about his contacts with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, and the Justice Division had already warned White House officials that they had been concerned Flynn used to be at menace of blackmail.

Flynn used to be fired Feb. thirteen, 2017, after White House officials acknowledged he had misled them about his Russian contacts one day of the transition period by asserting that he had no longer discussed sanctions. The following day, basically based on a separate memo, Comey says Trump cleared the Oval Place of work of assorted officials, inspired him to let breeze of the investigation into Flynn and known as him a correct guy. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is now cooperating with Mueller’s investigation.

The memos show that days sooner than Flynn’s firing, then-White House chief of team Reince Priebus asked Comey if Flynn’s communications had been being monitored under a secret surveillance warrant.

« Produce you accumulate gotten a FISA picture on Mike Flynn? » Priebus asked Comey, basically based on the memos, referring to an picture under the International Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Comey acknowledged he « paused for just a few seconds after which acknowledged that I could answer here, but that this illustrated the more or much less question that wanted to be asked and answered via established channels. »

Comey’s response is redacted on the unclassified memos.

The memos also show Trump’s persevered hurt at a file of allegations — compiled by an ex-British request whose work used to be funded by the Democratic Nationwide Committee and the Clinton marketing and marketing campaign — inspecting doable ties between him and his aides and the Kremlin. Comey writes how Trump time and again denied to him having been eager on an bump into with Russian prostitutes in a Moscow hotel.

« The President acknowledged ‘the hookers thing’ is nonsense, » Comey writes, noting that Trump then associated the dialog with Putin referring to the « most edifying hookers. » Comey says Trump did no longer teach when Putin had made the statement.

The documents also encompass the president’s musings about pursing leakers and imprisoning journalists. They also present insight into Comey’s deepest and expert opinions. He judges the administration’s skedaddle ban to be legally reliable, and he takes a swipe at dilapidated Attorney Overall Loretta Lynch, calling her predecessor, Eric Holder, « smarter and more refined and smoother. »

The memos had been equipped to Congress earlier Thursday as House Republicans escalated criticism of the Justice Division, threatening to subpoena the documents and questioning officials.

In a letter despatched to three Republican House committee chairmen Thursday evening, Assistant Attorney Overall Stephen Boyd wrote that the division used to be sending a labeled model of the memos and an unclassified model. The division launched Boyd’s letter publicly but did no longer liberate the memos. The chairmen issued an announcement unhurried Thursday asserting the memos show that Comey clearly by no intention felt threatened, and Trump didn’t hinder justice.

Justice officials had allowed some lawmakers to leer the memos but had by no intention equipped copies to Congress. Boyd wrote that the division had also equipped the memos to several Senate committees.

Boyd wrote within the letter that the division « consulted the relevant occasions » and concluded that releasing the memos would no longer adversely accumulate an impact on any ongoing investigations. Mueller is investigating doable ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 marketing and marketing campaign as smartly as conceivable obstruction of justice by the president.

Comey is on a publicity tour to promote his new e-book, « A Bigger Loyalty. » He published closing year that he had written the memos after conversations with Trump.

He acknowledged in an interview Thursday with CNN that he’s « moving » with the Justice Division turning his memos over to Congress.

« I judge what folk will peek within the event that they gain to test the memos is I’ve been fixed since the very starting, correct after my encounters with President Trump, and I am fixed within the e-book and tried to be clear within the e-book as smartly, » he acknowledged.

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Associated Press writer Tom LoBianco contributed to this record.

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Link to the memos:

http://apne.ws/dwhMe9R