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Trump accuses ex-FBI director Comey of cowardice over ‘leaks’

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US President Donald Trump on Sunday intensified his effort to discredit ousted FBI director James Comey, accusing him of cowardice in leaking an eye-popping account of their private meetings.


In an angry early-morning tweet from his New Jersey golf club, the embattled president questioned Comey’s character and whether he had broken the law in revealing their conversations.


Comey had been leading an FBI investigation into several Trump aides and their contacts with the Russian government — which US intelligence agencies say tried to tilt the 2016 election in Trump’s favor — before being fired.


After his dismissal, Comey leaked shocking details of a series of meetings with Trump, in which the president allegedly asked for Comey’s “loyalty” and suggested that he shelve an FBI investigation into Trump’s national security adviser.


Trump critics said that was evidence that the president may have obstructed justice, possible grounds for impeachment.


The White House has repeatedly tried to shift the focus away from the content of Comey’s allegations and onto the manner of their release.


“I believe the James Comey leaks will be far more prevalent than anyone ever thought possible,” Trump wrote in an early morning tweet. “Totally illegal- Very ‘cowardly!’”


It was not clear exactly what Trump meant by “prevalent” — a point made in a flurry of Twitter postings by critics of the president. And legal experts have questioned whether Comey’s leak broke any law.


Meanwhile, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a letter on Saturday that he will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday to address matters former FBI Director James Comey brought up this week in testimony to the same panel.


In a letter seen by Reuters, Sessions told Senator Richard Shelby, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, that the intelligence committee is the “most appropriate” place to address matters that came up during Comey’s hearing on Thursday.


The letter did not say whether Sessions planned to give public testimony or to appear before the panel behind closed doors.


“In light of reports regarding Mr. Comey’s recent testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, it is important that I have an opportunity to address these matters in the appropriate forum,” Sessions said in the letter. — Reuters


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