"Those were lies, plain and simple," Comey said of the administration's claims that the FBI was poorly led and in disarray under his leadership, and that agents had lost confidence in him.
"The administration chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI," he said.
COMEY: White House chose to 'defame' me and FBI with lies
James Comey: Opening statement
On Trump: "I was honestly concerned that he might lie."
Comey testifies he kept notes of meetings because he thought President might lie
He also said he was "confused and increasingly concerned" by Trump's shifting explanations for firing him, including Trump's remark that he had had Russia on his mind in dismissing Comey four years into a 10-year term.
"He had repeatedly told me I was doing a great job and he hoped I would stay," Comey said. "So it confused me when I saw on television the president told me that he actually fired me because of the Russia investigation."
And Comey told senators why he had decided he must document every meeting he had with Trump, with a written record.
Did Trump attempt to obstruct the FBI's Russia investigation?
Comey: Did the president obstruct investigation?
COMEY: I took Trump's words as a direction
Comey asked if knows of anyone being charged for "hoping" something
"I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, so I thought it really important to document," Comey said. "I knew there might come a day when I might need a record of what happened not only to defend myself but to protect the FBI."
Comey made his comments as the packed hearing got underway, bringing Washington and parts of the country to a halt as all eyes were glued on the hearing room. He immediately dove into the heart of the fraught political controversy around his firing as he elaborated on written testimony delivered Wednesday. In that testimony he had already disclosed that Trump demanded his "loyalty" and directly pushed him to "lift the cloud" of investigation by declaring publicly the president was not the target of the probe into his campaign's Russia ties.
Comey also testified in his written testimony that Trump, in a strange private encounter near the grandfather clock in the Oval Office, pushed him to end his investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Comey answers why the Clinton email case was called a 'matter' and not 'investigation'
Comey says why he went public on emails
COMEY: Russians targeted 'hundreds'
Comey: Russians targeted hundreds
COMEY: Russians interfered in 2016 U.S. election cycle
Comey: No fuzz, Russians interfered in election
COMEY: I was fired because of Russian investigation
Comey: I was fired because of Russian investigation
COMEY: Asked friend to share his content of memos to "prompt the appointment of a special counsel."
Comey leaked memo to prompt special counsel appointment
COMEY: Russians will be back
Comey says the Russians will be back
COMEY: Former Attorney General asked him to call Clinton email investigation a "matter"
Comey says former Attorney General asked him to call Clinton email investigation a "matter"
Trump was expected to dispute Comey's claims that he demanded loyalty and asked the FBI director to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to a person close to the president's legal team who demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss legal strategy. The Republican National Committee worked aggressively to discredit Comey ahead of the hearing and as it unfolded.
Comey listened, hands clasped on his lap, as committee Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina delivered his opening statement.
"Today," Burr told Comey, "is your opportunity to set the record straight."
Burr is leading the committee's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and ties with Trump's own campaign team.
"We will establish the facts separate from rampant speculation and lay them out for the American people to make their own judgement," Burr said. "Only then will we be able to move forward and put this issue to rest."
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