Trump privately asks Comey to let the Flynn investigation go
Reporting and findings
- reported
Comey recorded that Trump asked him one-on-one to 'let this go' regarding Flynn, after other officials left the Oval Office. Comey understood it as a direction about the Flynn investigation but did not close the case. Trump denied making the request and the White House called Comey's account untrue. Mueller treated the incident as evidence relevant to intent, not an adjudicated offense.
- CBS News: Comey memo says Trump asked him to end Flynn investigationContemporaneous memo account and White House denial
- U.S. Department of Justice, Special Counsel's Office: Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential ElectionVolume II, pages 40–48 and 74–77: meeting evidence, competing accounts, and obstruction analysis
Summary and current status
Comey's contemporaneous memorandum recorded the request after Trump cleared the Oval Office; Trump and the White House disputed Comey's account.
Mueller analyzed the incident as potential obstruction evidence; no court adjudicated Trump on it
People and organizations
- Donald J. TrumpDonald Trump network root
- Michael Flynnformer Trump national security adviser and clemency recipient
Relationships in this file
- Donald J. Trumpnational security adviser and clemency recipientMichael Flynn