Top Senate Intel Dem: Comey Won’t Appear Before Committee Next Week

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. gestures during an election party in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. Warner is locked in a tight race with Republican Ed Gillespie. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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Fired FBI Director James Comey turned down an invitation to be interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee next week, according to that panel’s leading Democrat.

Asked on MSNBC Friday afternoon if he believed it was “critical” to speak to Comey, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) affirmed that it was, but said “he won’t be testifying on Tuesday” as he was invited to do.

“I have enormous respect for Jim Comey and I believe at the appropriate time and place, he will tell his side of the story,” Warner continued. “And my hope is that will be in front of our committee.”

Trump unceremoniously fired Comey late Tuesday afternoon. His administration first cited a recommendation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who was sharply critical of Comey’s controversial handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, before Trump revealed that he made the decision to fire Comey unilaterally.

The FBI and House and Senate Intelligence Committees are all conducting investigations into Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election, including possible collusion between Russian operatives and Trump campaign officials.

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