Trump Lashes out at Ex-FBI Director for Giving 'untruthful' Testimony over Handling of Russia Probe

Washington, Dec 9 (PTI) US President Donald Trump on Sunday lashed out at former FBI director James Comey, whom he had fired, claiming that he lied to Congress in testimony over his handling of the Russia probe.

"Leakin' James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. They are now exposed!" Trump tweeted.

He even listed the number of times Comey told the investigators that he did not know, recall, or could not remember things when asked.

"On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didn't know, didn't recall, or couldn't remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) - didn't know who signed off and didn't know Christopher Steele. All lies!" Trump said.

Trump was reacting to the transcripts of Comey's close door testimony before the House Judiciary and the Oversight and Government Reforms Committee last week, which were released Sunday.

Comey had told the House investigators that he opened probe on four Americans and that he didn't know former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.

In his testimony, which lasted six hours, Comey said the initial counterintelligence investigation into Russia election meddling was opened on four individuals -- but not Trump -- to see if any of them were conspiring with the Russians to sway the elections.

Comey did not identify the four, and declined to answer other questions that went into matters under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and other federal prosecutors.

He alleged Trump as President asked him to drop the investigations against Michael Flynn, the then national security advisor.

"I felt that he was asking me, directing me to drop a criminal investigation, which I thought was improper, so I went back, wrote a memo about it, briefed the leadership of the FBI so we could figure out what to do about it," Comey said referring to his meeting with Trump in early 2017.

"The aim of the Russian effort in 2016 was to destabilize, undermine, damage our democracy...that's a very serious threat...And understanding whether any Americans were part of that effort is incredibly important because the threat of those Americans by virtue of their alliance with the Russians would pose to our country," he said.

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