Comey won’t speak to Senate committee next week

Former FBI Director James Comey will not appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee next week, despite an invitation to speak behind closed doors about getting fired by President Trump.

Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) told MSNBC on Friday afternoon that Comey would not be appearing, but he hoped to have him soon. The invitation had been extended for Tuesday, a week after Trump’s shocking announcement that he was firing the director. 

The firestorm over Comey’s dismissal has played out with little word from the director himself, save a brief letter to the FBI workforce that said “a president can fire an FBI director for any reason.”

The only glimpse of the former director has been paparazzi shots taken through his back fence in McLean, Va.

But speculation has whirled around if — or when — Comey will offer his version of events publicly.

{mosads}Myriad media leaks, apparently originating from the FBI and associates of Comey, has contradicted the White House’s version of events.

In a New York Times story Thursday night, allies of the former director said Trump had summoned Comey to the White House for dinner and demanded that he vow political loyalty — but was rebuffed.

Trump has said that Comey asked for the meeting and that during dinner, Comey told him he was not the subject of an investigation.

Both claims have been met with incredulity amongst former Justice Department officials.