A White House official further emphasized that acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe gave testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee last week in which he said, "There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date".
"We are witnessing an obstruction of justice case unfolding in real time", said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a former state attorney general. Therefore, says the Justice Department, "it follows that an endeavor to obstruct justice need not be successful to be criminal". The intelligence, reportedly obtained by Israel, was disclosed without Israel's consent, and it was considered so sensitive it was restricted even among us authorities. He added: "Whether there are mitigating circumstances remains to be seen".
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee also asked for any materials related to Mr. Comey's interactions with Mr. Trump.
Democrats and a number of Republicans said they wanted to hear from Comey, who was sacked last week a day before Trump met in the Oval Office with the Russian diplomats.
The Hill reports that Amash also said if impeachment came down to a question of whether to trust Trump or Comey, he would side with the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director.
The House was in recess when Trump abruptly fired Comey last week. And citing a Washington Post story about Trump revealing classified information to Russian diplomats in the Oval Office a day after firing Comey, Risch said it had been disclosed by "a weasel ... a traitor".
For the record, the White House has denied the president asked Comey or anyone else "to end any investigation".
And in a tweet Wednesday, Donald Trump Jr. defended his father. The act has to be done corruptly.
Despite reports Mr Trump shared the information in a way that would have allowed the Russians to work out its origin, General McMaster asserted the President "in no way compromised any sources".
"My view is that there are a lot of pieces coming together", said Peter Zeidenberg, a former public corruption prosecutor. The Justice Department's appointment late Wednesday of a special counsel in the case is a positive development.
President Trump's own interviews, tweets and comments to the press are helping investigators determine whether he obstructed justice.
Jeter's No. 2 retired in emotional Yankees ceremony
Eventually nothing is next because you're retired, but we all had those same mindsets and that's why I think we had success. Clippard spent 2008-14 with Washington so he only faced Jeter once, but it's an at-bat he'll never forget.
Any investigation would pay close attention to the timeline.
Earlier on Wednesday, GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger became one of the most high-profile Republicans to join the call for an independent commission or special prosecutor to investigate possible Trump ties to Russian Federation.
Chaffetz said he has always had strong support from congressional leaders. The credibility of the White House has come under attack, as aides have delivered false or misleading statements or aggressively argued points that the president later contradicted. Originally, the two were going to debate, but CNN changed the format after The New York Times first reported Comey had written a memo about Trump's asking him to stop an investigation into Flynn, the former national security adviser.
Trump wrote to Comey that the dismissal was necessary to restore public trust and confidence. "He was concerned", said the associate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Kinzinger added that he has not lost faith in the Congressional investigations into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, but stressed, "We need honest, non-political answers".
"This is not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr. Comey".
Trump himself hasn't directly addressed the latest allegations that he pressured Comey to drop the Flynn investigation.
"It's falling out of the trees, the evidence", he said. Having finally obtained control of the House, Senate and the White House, Republicans have ambitious goals for rewriting the nation's health care law and tax code.
Amash, a member of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus and chairman of the Liberty Caucus, has been calling for an independent commission to investigate the Trump administration's alleged ties to Russian Federation.
He said: "The President wasn't even aware of where this information came from - he wasn't even briefed on the source or method of this information either".
BHP Billiton plc (BLT) Downgraded to "Sell" at Goldman Sachs Group Inc With 67,800 avg volume, 29 days are for T2 Biosystems Incorporated (NASDAQ:TTOO)'s short sellers to cover TTOO's short positions. Morgan Stanley reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of BHP Billiton Limited in a research note on Saturday, January 21st.
Amtrak conductor shot at Naperville station; Suspect in custody
When officers arrived, the man was being restrained by other passengers on the train. The gunman was held by passengers until police arrived on scene and he was arrested.
Ohio high school students get pepper-sprayed for class
In order to graduate from a career tech program in OH , students need 12 points, so the spray was probably well worth it for some. The video was posted on the pro police Blue Lives Matters website and has since been viewed more hundreds of thousands of times.
The 'Avril Lavigne is dead' conspiracy is back again
Yesterday, the blonde star posted a sweet snap of her with her mom for Mother's Day. "The jig is up Melissa". Avril Lavigne's death theory is once again making the rounds online, thanks to another Twitter user.
Over 50% doctors affected with hypertension
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring is therefore a more consistent and accurate method of measuring blood pressure levels. Globally, the prevalence of hypertension in youngsters is nearly 10 per cent and this has doubled in just a decade.
Bollywood's favourite mom, Reema Lagoo passes away
She took the name Reema Lagoo after her marriage - she and her husband later separated but Ms Lagoo retained the name. Veteran actor Reema Lagoo passed away at the age of 59 this morning after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Family wants justice, not protests for teen killed by Balch Springs PD
Merritt has told CNN that, at this time, Jordan's family wishes to grieve privately until after the funeral. Jackson said, "Their boy was brutally murdered, violently murdered in front of his brothers".
(KSS) Price Target Lowered to $39.00 at Royal Bank of Canada
The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . The 52 week high Kohl's Corporation's shares have reached is 59.67 whilst the 52 week low for the company's shares is 34.1.
Chelsea Manning freed from military prison
After joking "i$3 f I really wanted to kill myself, I could use my underwear", Manning's underwear was then confiscated. Manning's commutation received a host of criticism from some in the government - including now-President Trump.
South Sudanese refugees need $1.4b this year
UNHCR coordinates the overall response with governments, humanitarian agencies as well as with refugees and host communities. The current rate of people fleeing South Sudan exceeds the humanitarian community's already pessimistic estimates.
How to REALLY Make Your Mom's Mother's Day the Best Ever
Mother's Day ranks third on the list of high attendance Sundays in most churches, falling behind only Easter and Christmas. How many words does it take to explain who a mother is or what a mother does? Why? Well, they are nurturing the future.
There's a Nintendo Direct for ARMS Tomorrow Night
United Kingdom time, will provide "a deep dive" into the new " ARMS " game designed for Nintendo Switch, the company confirms. Whetting Splatoon fans' appetites, Nintendo unleashes more information about ARMS' weapons, playing modes, and characters .
Democrats Going to Do Whatever It Takes to Impeach Trump In a weird twist on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to turn over to Congress records of Trump's discussions. And the Senate Intelligence Committeesent a letter to Comey asking him to appear before them in both closed and open sessions.
Elliott Management says Barcelona meeting with BHP CEO was "constructive"
The logical next step would be an in-depth, open and timely independent strategic review of the business, Elliott said. BHP has said it would review the plans and respond.
Schwarber, Rizzo HR, Cubs top Reds 9-5; Maddon's 1000th win The Reds will promote left-hander Amir Garrett from Triple-A Louisville to start Thursday's series finale against the Cubs. Hendricks is the first starter to right himself and hit the kind of commanding stride the team has desperately needed.