James Comey reportedly rebuffed Trump's attempts to get chummy

According to a New York Times report that cited two people briefed on a call between Comey and Trump, Comey had explained to Trump how the White House ought to communicate with the FBI after Trump had contacted Comey directly to ask when the bureau would announce that he was not under investigation.

Comey attempted to make clear the limits of the FBI's relationship with the White House and maintain his bureau's independence, which he believed was under threat since the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign's possible connections to Russia.

Comey reportedly told Trump that if he wanted details on the FBI's investigations, he ought to contact the Justice Department and follow proper procedures.

Other interactions between the White House and Comey illustrate what The Times depicted as an uncomfortable relationship between the two before Trump fired Comey last week.

During a dinner in which Trump asked Comey for his pledge of loyalty, Trump expressed his grievances with the investigation into Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser, and asked Comey to drop the investigation, according to The Times, which cited sources who revealed a memo they said was written by Comey about the meeting shortly afterward.

The day after the conversation, The Times reports, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus had asked Comey to assist in deflecting media reports saying Trump's surrogates had been in contact with Russian intelligence agents before Trump's inauguration.

The Justice Department's guidelines prohibit conversations between the White House and the FBI with regard to active criminal investigations unless they are "important for the performance of the president's duties and appropriate from a law enforcement perspective," The Times reported. If necessary, the conversations are limited to the attorney general or the deputy attorney general.

Comey also expressed his frustration over Trump's attempts to build a personal relationship, The Times said, citing Benjamin Wittes, a friend of Comey who is the editor-in-chief of the Lawfare blog. Wittes said Comey believed after his phone call with Trump that he had "kind of got them trained."

"He had to throw some brushback pitches to the administration," Wittes told The Times.

Wittes also described another incident between Trump and Comey that had Comey concerned, according to The Times:

Comey did not. Trump called him over from across the room, and the two shook hands awkwardly as attendees applauded.

James Comey reportedly rebuffed Trump's attempts to get chummy

You can read the full New York Times report

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