According to a report in Tuesday's New York Times, President Trump urged Comey to close down the investigation into his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. In notes from a meeting between the two men, Comey recalled Trump's words:

"He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."

The #Comey memo may form the basis for proof that President Trump directly tried to influence and curtail the FBI Russian investigation. Politicians from all sides have reacted with disbelief, with the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Senator Jason Chaffetz, urging the FBI to present "memoranda, notes, summaries and recording", in a letter sent on Tuesday night.

It has been reported that #Comey wrote the memo following the meeting he held with Donald Trump the day after Michael Flynn resigned. This was Comey's attempt to document what he reportedly felt were "improper efforts by the President to influence an investigation." Interestingly, the contemporaneous notes of an FBI agent can be used in court as credible evidence of conversations.

While the New York Times has not seen the memo, one of Mr. Comey's associates read out a part of the memo to one of their reporters.

White House refutes Comey memo content

The White House was quick to rush out and deny that Donald Trump had tried to shut down the investigation and emphasised, the President had simply spoken of his regard for Michael Flynn. The statement further outlined Trump's respect for the law: "The President has the utmost respect for our law enforcement agencies and all investigations," and described the memo as "not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the President and Mr.

Comey."

Russian investigation continues despite Comey dismissal

While the FBI has until 24 May to hand over relevant documentation on these matters, the investigation into Flynn has been continuing. The FBI has not given any indication of how long it will take.

Even though the White House initially denied that Comey's dismissal was connected to this investigation, Donald Trump himself admitted in a TV interview that "the Russian thing" was one of the reasons, but stated that it was "a made-up story".

There is a growing sense of unease that simply won't go away until all these matters have been properly investigated. Democrats, as well as some Republicans, have been calling for Mr Comey to testify to Congress about his conversations with the President. The seriousness of these matters has been reiterated time and time again, with many seeing it as a serious threat to Donald Trump's presidency.
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