Cummings to Chaffetz: Immediately Obtain Documents on  President’s Claims to Russians

Trump Reportedly Told Russians That He Fired  FBI Director Comey to Ease Pressure

Washington, D.C. (May 19, 2017)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement in response to a New York Times report that President Donald Trump conceded to Russian officials that he fired former FBI Director James Comey a day earlier to ease pressure on himself, according to a document summarizing the meeting:

“This new report that President Trump openly admitted to the Russians that he ‘faced great pressure’ from the FBI’s criminal investigation that was ‘taken off’ when he fired Director Comey is astonishing—and extremely troubling.  If these White House documents in fact exist memorializing the President’s statements to the Russians, the Oversight Committee needs to obtain copies immediately.  Chairman Chaffetz should request these White House documents today and have his subpoena pen ready—just as he did earlier this week with the memos written by Director Comey.”

The White House reportedly does not dispute the existence of the documents or the accuracy of the report.