Will James Comey allege Trump tried to obstruct justice?
When fired FBI Director James Comey testifies Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, he does not plan to allege obstruction of justice.
According to an individual familiar with Comey's thinking, CBS News' Andres Triay reports that Comey intends to present facts -- not conclusions. The former FBI director realizes many will draw their own conclusions, but he intends to stick to the facts. He does not plan to allege that the president tried to obstruct justice. Comey can only provide one perspective -- his own -- so he is not in a position to render a legal opinion on whether Mr. Trump attempted to obstruct justice.
Much of the questioning is expected to focus on memos Comey wrote after his conversations with the president, in which the president asked him to drop the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn just after Flynn had been forced to resign his position as national security adviser. Flynn had misled the vice president and others about what he had discussed in his contacts with Russian Envoy Sergey Kislyak.
Thursday's hearing marks the first time Comey will be speaking in public since the president fired him last month.
