Trump Never Asked for Comey's Loyalty, President's Personal Lawyer Says
Outside counsel to President Donald Trump Marc Kasowitz maintained Thursday that Trump never asked former FBI Director James Comey for his loyalty, contradicting a key part of Comey's testimony, while also suggesting Comey may have broken the law when he leaked information from his own memos to news media.
"The president also never told Mr. Comey, 'I need loyalty, I expect loyalty,' in form or substance," Kasowitz told reporters at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Kasowitz labeled Comey "one of these leakers" who are "actively attempting to undermine this administration with selective and illegal leaks of classified information and privileged communications."
Counsel stopped short of accusing Comey of breaking the law, saying he'd leave it to "the appropriate authorities to determine whether" the leaks should be investigated along with all the others the White House is probing.
In Kasowitz's view, Comey's testimony establishes that the president "was not being investigated for colluding" with the Russians, or "attempting to obstruct that investigation."
His comments Thursday afternoon were the first reaction from the White House to the highly-anticipated testimony, which referred all Comey and Russia-related questions to outside counsel. The Republican National Committee handled rapid response rebuttal during the testimony.
— Ali Vitali
