read former fbi director jam comey full statement statement record senate select committee intelligence jam b. comey june 2017chairman burr rank member warner members committee thank invite appear today ask testify today describe interactions president-elect president trump subject understand interest include every detail conversations president best recollection try include information may relevant committee.january briefingi first meet then-president-elect trump friday january conference room trump tower new york intelligence community ic leaders brief new national security team find ic assessment concern russian efforts interfere election conclusion brief remain alone president-elect brief personally sensitive aspects information assemble assessment.the ic leadership think important variety reason alert incoming president existence material even though salacious unverified among reason know media publicly report material believe ic keep knowledge material imminent release president-elect extent effort compromise incoming president could blunt effort defensive briefing.the director national intelligence ask personally portion brief stay position material implicate fbi counter-intelligence responsibilities also agree would alone minimize potential embarrassment president-elect although agree make sense brief fbi leadership concern brief might create situation new president come office uncertain whether fbi conduct counter-intelligence investigation personal conduct.it important understand fbi counter-intelligence investigations different more-commonly know criminal investigative work bureau goal counter-intelligence investigation understand technical human methods hostile foreign power use influence unite state steal secrets fbi use understand disrupt efforts sometimes disruption take form alert person target recruitment influence foreign power sometimes involve harden computer system attack sometimes involve turn recruit person double-agent publicly call behavior sanction expulsions embassy-based intelligence officer occasion criminal prosecution use disrupt intelligence activities.because nature hostile foreign nation well know counterintelligence investigations tend center individuals fbi suspect witting unwitting agents foreign power fbi develop reason believe american target recruitment foreign power covertly act agent foreign power fbi open investigation american use legal authorities try learn nature relationship foreign power disrupted.in context prior january meet discuss fbi leadership team whether prepare assure president-elect trump investigate personally true open counter-intelligence case agree circumstances warrant one-on-one meet trump tower base president-elect trump reaction brief without directly ask question offer assurance.i felt compel document first conversation president-elect memo ensure accuracy begin type laptop fbi vehicle outside trump tower moment walk meet create write record immediately one-on-one conversations mr. trump practice point forward practice past speak alone president obama twice person never phone 2015 discuss law enforcement policy issue second time briefly say goodbye late 2016. neither circumstances memorialize discussions recall nine one-on-one conversations president trump four months three person six phone.january 27 dinnerthe president dinner friday january 27 6:30 pm green room white house call lunchtime day invite dinner night say go invite whole family decide time whole family come next time unclear conversation else would dinner although assume would others.it turn two us seat small oval table center green room two navy stewards wait us enter room serve food drinks.the president begin ask whether want stay fbi director find strange already tell twice early conversations hop would stay assure intend say lot people want job give abuse take previous year would understand want walk away.my instincts tell one-on-one set pretense first discussion position mean dinner least part effort ask job create sort patronage relationship concern greatly give fbi traditionally independent status executive branch.i reply love work intend stay serve ten-year term director set-up make uneasy add reliable way politicians use word could always count tell truth add anybody side politically could count traditional political sense stance say best interest president.a moments late president say need loyalty expect loyalty move speak change facial expression way awkward silence follow simply look silence conversation move return subject near end dinner.at one point explain important fbi department justice independent white house say paradox throughout history presidents decide problems come justice try hold department close blur boundaries ultimately make problems bad undermine public trust institutions work.near end dinner president return subject job say glad want stay add hear great things jim mattis jeff sessions many others say need loyalty reply always get honesty pause say want honest loyalty pause say get write memo create immediately dinner possible understand phrase honest loyalty differently decide productive push term honest loyalty help end awkward conversation explanations make clear expect.during dinner president return salacious material brief january do previously express disgust allegations strongly deny say consider order investigate allege incident prove happen reply give careful think might create narrative investigate personally difficult prove negative say would think ask think it.as practice conversations president trump write detail memo dinner immediately afterwards share senior leadership team fbi.february 14 oval office meetingon february 14 go oval office schedule counterterrorism brief president sit behind desk group us sit semi-circle six chair face side desk vice president deputy director cia director national counterterrorism center secretary homeland security attorney general semi-circle chair directly face president sit deputy cia director director nctc quite others room sit behind us couch chairs.the president signal end brief thank group tell want speak alone stay chair participants start leave oval office attorney general linger chair president thank say want speak last person leave jar kushner also stand chair exchange pleasantries president excuse say want speak me.when door grandfather clock close alone president begin say want talk mike flynn flynn resign previous day president begin say flynn do anything wrong speak russians let go mislead vice president add concern flynn specify.the president make long series comment problem leak classify information concern share still share speak minutes leak reince priebus lean door grandfather clock could see group people wait behind president wave close door say would do shortly door closed.the president return topic mike flynn say good guy lot repeat flynn do anything wrong call russians mislead vice president say hope see way clear let go let flynn go good guy hope let go reply good guy fact positive experience deal mike flynn colleague director defense intelligence agency begin term fbi say would let go president return briefly problem leak get leave door grandfather clock make way large group people wait include mr. priebus vice president.i immediately prepare unclassified memo conversation flynn discuss matter fbi senior leadership understand president request drop investigation flynn connection false statements conversations russian ambassador december understand president talk broad investigation russia possible link campaign could wrong take focus happen flynn departure controversy around account phone call regardless concern give fbi role independent investigative agency.the fbi leadership team agree important infect investigative team president request intend abide also conclude give one-on-one conversation nothing available corroborate account conclude make little sense report attorney general sessions expect would likely recuse involvement russia-related investigations two weeks late deputy attorney general role fill act capacity unite state attorney would also long role.after discuss matter decide keep closely hold resolve figure road investigation progress investigation move ahead full speed none investigative team members department justice lawyers support aware president request.shortly afterwards speak attorney general sessions person pass along president concern leak take opportunity implore attorney general prevent future direct communication president tell ag happen ask leave fbi director report ag remain behind inappropriate never happen reply reason discuss mention president broach fbi potential investigation general flynn.march 30 phone callon morning march 30 president call fbi describe russia investigation cloud impair ability act behalf country say nothing russia involve hookers russia always assume record russia ask could lift cloud respond investigate matter quickly could would great benefit find anything do work well agree re-emphasize problems cause him.then president ask congressional hear russia previous week department justice direct confirm investigation possible coordination russia trump campaign explain demand leadership party congress information senator grassley even hold confirmation deputy attorney general brief detail investigation explain brief leadership congress exactly individuals investigate tell congressional leaders personally investigate president trump remind previously tell repeatedly tell need get fact tell president fbi department justice reluctant make public statements open case president trump number reason importantly would create duty correct change president go say satellite associate something wrong would good find do anything wrong hop would find way get investigate him.in abrupt shift turn conversation fbi deputy director andrew mccabe say bring mccabe thing say mccabe honorable although mcauliffe close clintons give think mean deputy director mccabe wife campaign money although understand president bring repeat mr. mccabe honorable person.he finish stress cloud interfere ability make deal country say hop could find way get investigate tell would see could would investigative work well quickly could.immediately conversation call act deputy attorney general dana boente ag sessions recuse russia-related matter report substance call president say would await guidance hear back president call two weeks later.april 11 phone callon morning april 11 president call ask do request get personally investigation reply pass request act deputy attorney general hear back reply cloud get way ability job say perhaps would people reach act deputy attorney general say way request handle say white house counsel contact leadership doj make request traditional channel.he say would add loyal loyal thing know reply ask mean thing say way handle white house counsel call act deputy attorney general say would call ended.that last time speak president trump jam comey bombshell pre-testimony statement