--- title: Comey Memo: Senate Intel Committee Asks For Public Testimony description: The request comes after reports of James Comey's memo that detailed how President Donald Trump told him to stop investigating Michael Flynn canonical: https://time.com/4782581/comey-memo-senate-intelligence-committee/ author: Jennifer Calfas article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-17T17:08:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:02:57.239Z article:section: Politics og:title: Senate Intelligence Committee Asks Comey to Testify Publicly og:description: The request comes after reports of James Comey's memo shook the Capitol. og:url: https://time.com/4782581/comey-memo-senate-intelligence-committee/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17e4bd1b89f14abe/6988b5590b72e369a16ec3fa/james-comey.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: FBI Director Comey Testifies To House Committee On FBI Recommendation Not To Prosecute Clinton Over Private Email Server og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Senate Intelligence Committee Asks Comey to Testify Publicly twitter:description: The request comes after reports of James Comey's memo shook the Capitol. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17e4bd1b89f14abe/6988b5590b72e369a16ec3fa/james-comey.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Senate Intelligence Committee Asks Comey to Testify Publicly for Russia Interference Probe > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a0844b6d-84d3-4b0c-9a51-5dc6ea86b4bc&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: In His Words: President Trump On James Comey [Watch (HLS stream): In His Words: President Trump On James Comey](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BPe3t011.m3u8) (1:39)  _Published 2017-05-10. President Donald Trump on Tuesday fired FBI Director James Comey — a controversial move that followed months of Trump's shifting opinions about him._ by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas May 17, 2017 5:08 PM UTC by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas May 17, 2017 5:08 PM UTC The [Senate Intelligence Committee](http://time.com/4713744/jared-kushner-donald-trump-senate-inquiry-russia/) has requested former FBI Director [James Comey](http://time.com/4778500/trump-james-comey-fired-poll/) to testify in both open and closed sessions for its investigation of Russia’s influence in the 2016 U.S. election. In letters sent Wednesday, the leaders of the committee also asked acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe to release “any notes or memorandum” prepared by Comey related to his conversations with “senior White House and Department of Justice officials related to investigations into Russia’s efforts.” North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the committee, sent the requests just a day after [the New York _Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/politics/james-comey-trump-flynn-russia-investigation.html?%5Fr=0) reported that [President Trump](http://time.com/4782530/donald-trump-coast-guard-commencement-speech/) had urged Comey to shut down his investigation former National Security Advisor [Michael Flynn](http://time.com/4776697/donald-trump-michael-flynn-defends-good-person/), according to a memo Comey wrote about the meeting. The White House [denied](http://time.com/4781623/michael-flynn-james-comey-donald-trump-fbi-investigation/) the report, which was also confirmed by a number of national news outlets, including NBC News, the Washington _Post_, ABC News and CNN, among others. Just days he was [fired](http://time.com/4773210/donald-trump-fires-fbi-director-james-comey/), Comey [declined](http://time.com/4778010/james-comey-testify-senate-intelligence-committee/) to testify in front of the committee in a closed session. But with news of his memo, some senators have said it is now even more important for Comey to testify. “If he \[Trump\] did something inappropriate with Director Comey the best way to find that out is to call him before the committee and before the country and to find that out. That’s the way to do it,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican member of the Judiciary Committee, [said](http://time.com/4781623/michael-flynn-james-comey-donald-trump-fbi-investigation/) Tuesday. Trump cited Comey’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of State as reason for his dismissal. But Democrats and some Republicans had questioned his timing and motives, since Comey had been involved in investigations into whether Trump’s campaign had colluded with Russia to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. ## Transcript Why did you fire Director Comey? Cuz he wasn't doing a good job, very simple. He was not doing a good job. When you hear what was said by the FBI Director today, he talked about extremely careless. She was extremely Careless that's a tremendous word. Today is the best evidence ever that we've seen that our system is absolutely, totally rigged. The State Department and the FBI Colluded, got together, to make Hillary Clinton look less guilty. I have great respect for the FBI, for righting this wrong. The American people fully understand her corruption, and we hope all, all justice will finally be served. I respect the fact that Director Comey Was able to come back after what he did. And it took guts for director Comey to make the move that he made in light of the kind of opposition he had. And there's [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ LAUGH ] He's become more famous than me. [ LAUGH ] [ APPLAUSE ] Was it a mistake not to ask Jim Comey to step down from the FBI at the onset of your presidency. Is it too late now to ask him to step down. No, it's not too late but I have confidence and we'll see what happens. When Jim Comey came out He saved Hillary Clinton. People don't realize that. He saved her life. Why did you fire James Comey? Cuz he wasn't doing a good job. 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