The Justice Department released memos written by former FBI director James Comey to Congress on Thursday -- and they were quickly leaked to the media.
The memos recount previously known conversations between former FBI director James Comey and President Donald Trump about former national security advisor Michael Flynn. However, the release of the Comey memos also revealed some unknown details about their conversations.
Here are the most shocking:
1. Trump brought up Russian prostitutes on three separate occasions.
Out of the five meetings between the two, Trump brought up Russian prostitutes on three occasions. One of those was in context of the Christopher Steele dossier and the salacious accusations that Trump hired prostitutes to urinate in the bed that former President Barack Obama once slept in while in Moscow.
This is the second time, per Comey's memos, that Trump told him he did not stay overnight in Moscow in 2013. Schill… https://t.co/0CvLCcWp9q— Natasha Bertrand (@Natasha Bertrand) 1524187817.0
2. Trump wanted to jail journalists to entice them to give up anonymous sources.
It was known that Trump wanted to throw journalists in jail, but the comments he made about it went even further.
"[Trump] replied that we need to go after the reporters. And referred to the fact that 10 or 15 years ago we put them in jail to find out what they know," the Comey memos revealed. "And it worked. He mentioned Judy Miller by name... He replied by saying it may involve putting reporters in jail. They spend a couple days in jail. Make a new friend. And they are ready to talk."
"He replied by saying it may involve putting reporters in jail." Comey says he laughed. 😐 https://t.co/6GMexMG0JL— Natasha Bertrand (@Natasha Bertrand) 1524188479.0
3. Comey called himself "reliable" instead of loyal.
"I responded by saying that he could fire me whenever he wished, but that I wanted to stay and do a job I love and think I'm doing well. I explained that I never expected to be back in government but had found this job hugely rewarding and wanted to serve out my term," Comey wrote in the memo. "I added that I was "reliable" in one way but not in the way political people sometimes use the term. I explained that he could count on me to always tell him the truth. I said I don't do sneaky things, I don't leak, I don't do weasel moves. But I was not on anybody's side politically and could not be counted on in that traditional political sense, which I said I thought was in the president's best interest."
Hard to keep up with the amount of lies told by Comey in his memos. https://t.co/zWJ6jcqD7V https://t.co/9L9vjwS9qZ— Nick Short 🇺🇸 (@Nick Short 🇺🇸) 1524188910.0
4. The memos confirm Andrew McCabe's claim that Trump seemed obsessed with his wife.
"At this point he asked me (and asked again later) whether 'your guy McCabe' has a problem with me, explaining that 'I was pretty rough on him and his wife during the campaign,'" the memos revealed. "I explained that Andy was a true professional and had no problem at all. I then explained what FBI people were like, that whatever there [sic] personal views, they strip them when they step into their bureau roles and actually hold 'political people' in slight contempt, without regard to party."
5. Trump blamed the Russia scandal as the reason his Obamacare repeal didn't pass. Then devolved into more hooker talk.
"He began by joking that I was getting more publicity than he," the memo says. "I replied that I hate it. He then said he was trying to run the country and the cloud of this Russia business was making that difficult. He said he thinks he would have won the health care vote but for the cloud. he then went on at great length, explaining that he has nothing to do with Russia (has a letter from the largest law firm in DC saying he has gotten no income from Russia). was not involved with hookers in Russia (can you imagine me. hookers? [sic] I have a beautiful wife. and [sic] it has been very painful). is [sic] bringing a personal lawsuit against Christopher Steele. always [sic] advised people to assume they were being recorded in Russia. has [sic] accounts now from those who travelled [sic] with him to Miss Universe pageant that he didn't do anything, etc."
6. Reince Priebus demanded to know if Flynn was under a FISA warrant.
Per Comey Memo, during meeting at the WH, then Chief of Staff @Reince asked him: “Do you have a FISA order on Mike… https://t.co/aAzDo3l1bM— Frank Thorp V (@Frank Thorp V) 1524186923.0
Interestingly, the question from Priebus came just 13 days after acting Attorney General Sally Yates warned White House Counsel Don McGahn that Flynn could be subject to blackmail.
According to the timing of the memos, it was a week later when Trump asked Comey to let Flynn go.
7. Trump wasn't sure about Flynn.
While the president tried to urge Comey to "let it go" with Flynn, he also wasn't sure about the man he tasked with national security issues.
According to Comey, Trump said that he had "serious reservations" about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's judgment.
8. Trump couldn't stop bringing up Russia.
In the five meetings, Trump couldn't stop talking about Russia. In one instance Comey revealed the two were talking about the argument Trump made that the United States is just as bad as Russia one some things.
"There are a lot of killers. You think our country's so innocent?" Trump said in an interview with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly
"You think my answer was good, right?" Trump reportedly asked Comey.
Comey said that he thought it was fine except for the "killers" remark, noting that the U.S. is not the kind of "killers" that Putin is. Trump didn't like the answer, according to Comey.
"The president paused noticeably," the memos reveal. "I don't know what to make of it but he clearly noticed I had clearly criticized him."
