The indictment on Thursday of the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey came after years of relentless demands by President Trump for punishment over the bureau’s investigation into possible Russian ties to Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign.
With the charges against Mr. Comey, the Justice Department — which has long had a tradition of keeping political distance from the White House and resisting political pressure — directly targeted a career government attorney and law enforcement official whom the president has identified as an enemy.
Here is a timeline of their relationship:
2016: No charges against Hillary Clinton
In July, Mr. Comey, then serving as the F.B.I. director, recommended no criminal charges be brought against Hillary Clinton over her handling of classified information while she was secretary of state. Mr. Trump, who was running for president against Mrs. Clinton, said that the lack of charges showed that the system was “rigged.”
That October, Mr. Comey told Congress that the F.B.I. was investigating a batch of emails related to Mrs. Clinton that had surfaced in an unrelated case, roiling the campaign weeks before the election.
March 2017: The Russia inquiry
Two months after Mr. Trump took office, Mr. Comey announced that the F.B.I. was investigating whether members of the president’s campaign had colluded with Russia to influence the election, bringing a criminal investigation to the doorstep of the White House. Mr. Comey said that officers would pursue the investigation “no matter how long that takes.”
April 2017: Their relationship deteriorates
According to Mr. Comey, Mr. Trump repeatedly put pressure on him, demanded loyalty and asked him to clear his name publicly in the Russia inquiry. Mr. Comey later testified to Congress that he told the president in one conversation that the investigation was proceeding as quickly as possible.
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The post A Timeline of the Trump-Comey Relationship appeared first on New York Times.
