Comey reportedly tried not to appear confrontational to Trump.
Former FBI Director James Comey prepared for discussions with President Trump by readying responses to his anticipated questions, according to a new report.
Comey would strategize with his team so as not to appear confrontational during the FBI’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race, CNN reported Wednesday.
“He wanted to make sure he could maintain independence and maintain ethical boundaries, ” an official close to Comey told CNN.
Comey also kept memos from his phone conversations with Trump on at least two separate occasions, a source told CNN.
“They’ re preserved because [Comey] presumes someone will want to see them, ” the source said.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday requested any memos or recordings from Trump’s meetings with Comey, who was leading the FBI’s investigation into any coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the election.
Lawmakers are pushing for any notes from Comey after The New York Times on Tuesday reported that Trump asked the FBI director in mid-February to end the federal probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
According to the report, Comey wrote in a memo shortly after the meeting that Trump told him, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.“
The meeting took place Feb. 14, one day after Flynn’s resignation, according to The Times, which reported that Comey’s memo was part of the then-FBI director’s effort to create a paper trail.
Comey reportedly created the trail to document what he saw as Trump’s improper influence on the investigation.
