Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a high-ranking Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, described James Comey’s prepared opening remarks as “seven pages of very fine print” and said the ex-FBI director needs to answer more questions at his hearing on Thursday.
“What it describes is a professional law enforcement person, who is Jim Comey, who comes up against a president who knows no limits in terms of a proper relationship,” she told CNN’s Dana Bash at an event for the CNN series Badass Women of Washington.
Comey took Washington by surprise earlier Wednesday when he allowed the intelligence committee to post his prepared remarks on the committee’s website, one day before he’s set to testify in a widely-anticipated hearing about his firing by President Donald Trump last month.
In his remarks, he said Trump asked him to drop investigations into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Comey also included quotes from conversations in which he said Trump asked Comey for his loyalty.
Asked if she thinks Comey’s comments demonstrated that Trump tried to obstruct justice, Feinstein said she needs to hear more from Comey first, but argued it was “remarkable” that he put his comments in writing, especially the night before the hearing.
“We will see how much he’s prepared to do verbally,” said the California Democrat.