Former FBI Director James Comey’s memos about his interactions with President Donald Trump are “likely” to become public, a senior GOP source told CNN.
The Justice Department sent redacted versions of the memos to Congress for their review Thursday, a day after House Republicans prepared to subpoena the department to obtain the memos. Lawmakers will be permitted to review unredacted copies Friday in a classified setting on Capitol Hill.
The documents have also been reviewed by the White House and a separate source familiar with the matter said the White House made no redactions to the documents. The source said Trump did not read the memos, but was told of their contents.
The source said the Justice Department did make some redactions to the memos, though it was unclear what they were.
The memos, which Comey has described in his book and congressional testimony, form a key part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of potential obstruction of justice.
Comey was asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper in a Thursday interview whether it was appropriate for the Justice Department to share Comey’s memos with Congress.
“Fine by me,” Comey said.
The release of the memos comes as the former FBI director is on a publicity tour touting his new book, rehashing his interactions with Trump and the events that led to his firing.
Comey wrote several memos memorializing his interactions with Trump, which he says he wrote contemporaneously – right after meeting with the President.
Among the allegations in his memos, Comey says Trump asked him in a one-on-one meeting to drop the investigation into his former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Comey also alleges that Trump asked him for his loyalty during a private dinner between the two men.