Republicans Call For Trump-Comey Memos As Crises Mount

Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah is requesting former FBI Director James Comey's records of his communications with President Donald Trump after a report from the New York Times described a memo that potentially implicates the president in illicit behavior. As the Times first reported and Patch confirmed, one of Comey's memos recounts Trump asking the former FBI director in February to drop the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Chaffetz, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, requested the documents in a letter to the FBI Tuesday night because the report raises "questions as to whether the President attempted to influence or impede the FBI's investigation." (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Flynn, who was fired for misleading the vice president about his talks with the Russian ambassador, is under investigation for acting as a foreign agent without authorization. The FBI is also investigating members and associates of the Trump campaign for potentially colluding with Russian intelligence officials to intervene in the 2016 election.

Last week, Trump was heavily criticized for firing Comey while the investigations continue. The Times said the memo, which associates of Comey say he wrote shortly after having the conversation with the president, is the "clearest evidence that the president has tried to directly influence the Justice Department and F.B.I. investigation into links between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russia." (The Times said it has not reviewed the memo directly; instead, an associate of Comey read parts of the memo to a reporter.)

The White House has denied the charge that Trump tried to interfere with any investigations.

"While the President has repeatedly expressed his view that General Flynn is a decent man who served and protected our country, the President has never asked Mr. Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn," it said in a statement.

"The President has the utmost respect for our law enforcement agencies, and all investigations. This is not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the President and Mr. Comey. Deputy Director McCabe said in his testimony last week that the WH had not interfered with any investigation."

This account stands in stark contrast to the Times' story.

“I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,” Trump told Comey in the Oval Office after asking the vice president and attorney general to leave the room, according to the memo read to the Times. “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."

Chaffetz's decision to formally request the memos from the FBI may signal a turning point in how Republican members of Congress treat the growing number of scandals emanating from the White House. Until now, Republican lawmakers have been largely unwilling to intensify the investigations into Trump's activities.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Tuesday night at an International Republican Institute dinner that Trump's scandals are reaching a "Watergate size and scale."

"This is not good for the country," he said.

Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina asked Comey to publicly testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on these matters.

On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat, reacted to the Times report on Twitter: "Asking FBI to drop an investigation is obstruction of justice. Obstruction of justice is an impeachable offense."

As Republicans become increasingly bold in their requests for more information and testimony related to Trump's conduct as president, Democrats are speaking candidly about the prospect of impeachment in growing numbers. CNN is keeping a running tally of Democratic lawmakers openly discussing impeachment; they network has found at least 17 so far.

Comey has a reputation going back years for keeping notes on interactions that he has seen as troublesome — a trait that has helped him in several controversial moments over the years.

"Comey is meticulous about keeping accurate, detailed notes of pertinent conversations," said a former senior DOJ official who worked with Comey for many years. "Unless Trump has tapes, it's going to be Trump versus Comey and his notes on what happened — and I think we all know who is telling the truth and who is lying."

According to the New York Times and associates familiar with Comey's notes, the president told the former FBI director that the bureau should consider putting reporters who print leaked materials in prison.

The president also expressed dissatisfaction with the FBI's lack of progress in discovering the source of leaks. Leaks of details of the president's calls with foreign leaders — including the prime minister of Australia — were an early embarrassment to the Trump administration.

Colin Miner contributed to this story.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images