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Robert Delaney

Members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee requested on Wednesday memos written by former FBI Director James Comey in an escalating controversy around whether President Donald Trump tried to end an FBI investigation into connections between the president’s associates and the Russian government of Vladimir Putin.
Former FBI chief Mueller named special counsel for Russia investigation
Senators Charles Grassley, a Republican, and Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, sent a letter to the Department of Justice and the White House, asking for records of interactions with Comey, including audio recordings. Uncertainty over where investigations of Trump associates will lead hit US stock markets, where major indices sustained their biggest losses this year.
Trump asked then FBI chief James Comey to halt investigation into ‘good guy’ Flynn: memo
The requests by Grassley and Feinstein “follow news reports that Comey authored internal memos following meetings and conversations with President Trump in order to document what he perceived to be improper behaviour by the President with respect to ongoing investigations at the FBI,” Grassley said in an announcement on his website.
US dollar tumbles on talk that Trump could face impeachment charges
“The president implied in a tweet last week that the White House may have recordings of interactions with Comey,” Grassley said.

James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

Trump tried to shut down the FBI investigation into his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, US media reported on Tuesday.
Global stocks reel as Trump’s political woes spook investors
The reports were based on a memo Comey wrote in February after meeting with the president. Trump fired Comey last week, sparking suspicions that the president is trying to cover up his administration’s ties with Russia.


White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters travelling with Trump to an event in New London, Connecticut today that media reports about the memo were inaccurate, but declined to elaborate.
The judiciary committee’s request comes amid an investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee into the Trump administration’s Russian connections, which is separate from the one initiated at the FBI by Comey. Flynn is one of the subjects of the FBI investigation. The House of Representatives is also conducting a separate investigation.
The US Senate has the final say in Congressional impeachment proceedings, a process that Democratic lawmakers in both houses of Congress have either discussed as a possibility or called for.

Representative Al Green, a Democrat, called on House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, to start the impeachment process against Trump.
Green lodged his request before news of Comey’s memo, based on the president’s acknowledgement that the FBI’s Russia investigation figured into his decision to fire Comey and Trump’s threat to release “tapes” of his conversations with the former FBI director.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said Comey’s firing could lead to Trump’s impeachment.

I have been asking Director Comey & others, from the beginning of my administration, to find the LEAKERS in the intelligence community.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2017

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

While no Republicans have backed any motion to start impeachment proceedings, others besides Grassley began issuing calls for more transparency from Trump.
“I think we need to hear from him as soon as possible in public to respond to the issues that have been raised in recent days,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
“We have an obligation to carry out our oversight, regardless of which party is in the White House,” said House Speaker Ryan.
“Now more than ever the country needs a well-credentialed, independent FBI Director,” Republican Senator John Cornyn announced. “I’ve informed the Administration that I’m committed to helping them find such an individual, and that the best way I can serve is continuing to fight for a conservative agenda in the US Senate.”
Candidates Spicer mentioned in Wednesday’s briefing with reports include acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe.

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Donald Trump

US Senate panel demands Comey’s memos and Trump’s tapes as controversy escalates

US President Donald Trump waves as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House as a controversy on his dealings with former FBI director James Comey deepened with the US Congress investigating the matter. Photo: Reuters

(FILES) This file photo taken on May 3, 2017 shows FBI Director James Comey sworn in prior to testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. US President Donald Trump asked former FBI director Comey to drop an investigation of his national security advisor Michael Flynn, the New York Times reported on May 16, 2017. In an explosive new report that was immediately denied by the Trump administration, the Times said Comey met the president in the White House on February 14, later summing up their discussion of Flynn in a memo. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON

Trump asked then FBI chief James Comey to halt investigation into ‘good guy’ Flynn: memo

The memo written by Comey, read aloud by one of his associates, is reportedly part of a ‘paper trail’ he kept to document efforts by Trump to influence investigation of Russia links

(FILES) This file photo taken on May 3, 2017 shows FBI Director James Comey as he testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. US President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017 made the shock decision to fire his FBI director James Comey, the man who leads the agency charged with investigating his campaign's ties with Russia."The president has accepted the recommendation of the Attorney General and the deputy Attorney General regarding the dismissal of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON

FILE PHOTO: FBI Director James Comey arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: A combination photo shows US President Donald Trump, former US national security Aadviser Michael Flynn, and former FBI Director James Comey. Photo: Reuters

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Dollar sinks on talk Trump may face impeachment charges


.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Update | US Senate panel demands Comey’s memos and Trump’s tapes as controversy escalates

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Dollar sinks on talk Trump may face impeachment charges

Update | US Senate panel demands Comey’s memos and Trump’s tapes as controversy escalates

Dollar sinks on talk Trump may face impeachment charges