Oklahoma Senator James Lankford prodded former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday on the president’s alleged pressure to end an investigation of his former national security advisor.
Lankford told Comey a single request from President Donald Trump in February to stop looking into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s ties to Russia seems a "pretty light touch."
"Did any member of the White House staff ever come to you and talk to you about letting go of the Michael Flynn case or dropping it or anything referring to that?" Lankford said.
"No. Nope," Comey said.
"Did the Director of National Intelligence come to you and talk to you about that?" Lankford said.
"No," Comey said.
"Did anyone from the Attorney General's Office, the Department of Justice ask you about that?" Lankford said.
"No," Comey said.
"Did the head of NSA talk to you about that?" Lankford said.
"No," Comey said.
Lankford also asked Comey whether the president could quash investigations into alleged ties between him or his associates and Russia. Comey said as head of the executive branch, Trump could directly or indirectly give orders to an agency under him.
Lankford asked whether that’s any different from the president tweeting his displeasure about the Russia investigations.
"I think there's a big difference in kicking superior officers out of the Oval Office, looking the FBI director in the eye and saying, 'Hope you'll let this go,'" Comey said. "I think if our — if the agents, as good as they are, heard the president of the United States did that, there's a real risk of a chilling effect on their work."
Lankford also sought more information from Comey in Thursday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
Lankford asked Comey whether he reviewed his notes about meetings with the president while writing his opening statement. Comey said he did, but they’re now in the hands of Special Counsel Bob Mueller.
One other person has had a copy of Comey’s memos, but Comey told Lankford he doesn’t know if they still do after the memos went to the New York Times.
"Could you ask them to hand that copy right back to you so you could hand them over to this committee?" Lankford said.
"Potentially," Comey said.
"I would like to move that from 'potential' to see if we can ask that question so we can have a copy of those," Lankford said. "Obviously, those notes are exceptionally important to us."
Comey said he referred to no documents other than his notes.
