Comey testimony as it happened: Trump's lawyer hits back at fired FBI director and says he could be investigated
The Independent will be covering his testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee live
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Former FBI Director James Comey is due to give evidence to the Senate Intelligence Committee about conversations he had with President Donald Trump and whether the former businessman pressured him to drop an investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
The committee has already released his prepared opening statement in which he will confirm under oath that Mr Trump tried to get him to drop the probe into whether General Flynn, who was forced to resign two weeks after the inauguration, had met with Russian officials during the campaign to discuss economic sanctions imposed by Barack Obama.
He will also testify about a pair of phone calls with Mr Trump where he had reportedly complained to him about the FBI's investigation into his campaign team's links with Russia, calling it a "cloud" looming over the presidency and reportedly urged mr comey to state publicly that the President himself was not under investigation.
Follow our liveblog below the video:
Mr Comey has just taken his seat, won't be long now...
CNN are currently going around their panel of commentators - it looks like they have about eight around their table. Be prepared for a LOT of talking heads today
Kamala Harris, who sits on the Committee, has also shared her thoughts:
We have begun. Follow a live stream of the session via this link:
Chairman of the Committee, Republican Richard Burr said he is looking forward to a candid discussion and reminded senators that they would meet with Mr Comey in a closed session at 1pm.
Mr Burr to Mr Comey: “The American people need to hear your side of the story, just as they need to hear the President’s description of events.”
Mr Burr says he and his Vice Chair - Democrat Mark Warner - have "had their differences" but they have remained in-step through the investigation.
Mr Warner: “This investigation is not about who won or lost the election.
"We’re here because a foreign adversary attacked us here at home...with the aim of sowing chaos"
"We must find out the whole story."
Mr Burr had said there are some unanswered questions.
Did Mr Comey “alter his approach” as a result of the President’s actions.
Did Russia and people in the Trump campaign cooperation “rise to the level of collusion.”
Why did Comey publicly announce in July 2016 that he would not back bringing criminal charges in the Clinton email investigation?
First two seem fair, the emails question is standard Republican fare - not sure what that has to do with the scope of this investigation.
Mr Warner says to Mr Comey that he has “never had any reason to question your integrity, your expertise, or your intelligence.”
Mr Warner mentions three Trump officials who had contacts with Russia: attorney general Jeff Sessions, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Mr Trump “expressed an odd and unexplained affection for the Russian dictator while calling for the hacking of his opponent,” says Warner
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