Donald Trump told America’s top intelligence official, Daniel Coats (pictured) to make the FBI back down from probing ex-Trump advisor Michael Flynn’s ties with Russia, insiders claim.
Donald Trump told America’s top intelligence official to make the FBI back down from investigating ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s ties with Russia, insiders claim.
Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats told his colleagues that Trump cornered him after a meeting in March and asked him to intervene in the case, sources told The Washington Post .
Coats is to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, and is expected to be grilled on his interactions with Trump.
Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, the source said Trump grabbed Coats after a meeting on March 22.
That was less than a week after Coats’ confirmation, and two days after then-FBI director James Comey confirmed to Congress that the bureau was investigating whether Trump’s team had met with Russia.
CIA director Mike Pompeo was also present for the encounter, the source said.
After the meeting, Coats conferred with his colleagues but decided against doing as the president asked, deciding it would inappropriate, they said.
Trump has already been accused of telling officials to deny the existence of evidence of collusion between Russia and his election campaign.
But this claim – like another made by Comey himself – suggests that he directly tried to influence the course of the investigation.
Brian P Hale, a spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) , said in a statement: ‘Director Coats does not discuss his private conversations with the President.
‘However, he has never felt pressured by the President or anyone else in the Administration to influence any intelligence matters or ongoing investigations.’
A spokesman for Pompeo declined to comment to the Washington Post, while the White House referred the query to outside lawyers, who have not responded.
The accusations of meddling in the investigation emerged on the same day that it was claimed Comey had attempted to get Attorney General Jeff Sessions to back him up against Trump.
Last month it emerged that Trump had told Comey in February to end the Flynn probe. That claim came in a memo written by Comey after the meeting.
Two days after that, Comey approached Sessions and said he didn’t want to be left alone with the president again, sources told The New York Times .
Comey didn’t elaborate on why he was perturbed, current and former law enforcement officials said, but said Sessions should protect the FBI from being leaned on by the White House.
Sessions told Comey that he could not guarantee Trump wouldn’t try to corner him alone again, the sources said.
Comey met privately twice with Barack Obama, suggesting that he was far less comfortable with Trump than with the previous president.
Like Coats, Comey will be questioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee this week: He is scheduled to make his appearance on Thursday.
Also on Tuesday it emerged that Sessions has told Trump he might quit after the president reportedly ranted at him over the continuing probe.
Trump ‘lashed out’ at the attorney general repeatedly at his decision to recuse himself, ABC News reported.
The president, who only heard of Sessions’ decision moments before it was announced, blames that for the growth of the probe.
That has led to ‘friction’ between the two, sources said, culminating in Sessions’ suggestion that he could step down.
Justice Department spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores declined to comment.
