Comey’s comments divide Michigan lawmakers

Michigan lawmakers on Capitol Hill were divided in their assessments of Thursday’s testimony from James Comey, the former FBI director who was abruptly fired last month by President Donald Trump. Comey said Trump asked him to back off the investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, leading Democrats to suggest it amounted to obstruction of justice. Republicans preferred to wait and see what comes out of the ongoing investigations by congressional committees and Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III. “Donald Trump is the president of the United States. If he calls you into his office, tells everyone else to leave the room and then tells you he wants this to go away, how else can that be interpreted?” said Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, at the U.S. Capitol. “Comey has an up-and-down relationship, as far as I’m concerned with him. I’ve questioned his behavior. I’ve questioned his decisions sometimes. But for him to sit there and say, this is what happened — this is a powerful day on the Hill. This is not going to go away.”