Democrats on Tuesday didn't take kindly to a New York Times report that President Donald Trump asked James Comey to drop an investigation into National Security Adviser Mike Flynn when he was the FBI director.
"Obstruction is obstruction. Doesn't matter whether you are an insider or outsider, whether the establishment likes you or not," Rep. Gerry Connolly said in an interview with Fox News.
"This is a country of due process of law. When you are intimidating... when you are explicit in trying to persuade that director to back off a specific investigation of a specific individual, that's obstruction of justice."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that if the reports were true then Trump committed "a grave abuse of executive power."
"If these reports are true, the President's brazen attempt to shut down the FBI's investigation of Michael Flynn is an assault on the rule of law that is fundamental to our democracy," said Pelosi.
"At best, President Trump has committed a grave abuse of executive power. At worst, he has obstructed justice."
The report in the Times says Comey wrote down Trump's request in a memo.
"I hope you can let this go," Trump told Comey. The newspaper said an unnamed associate of Comey read parts of the memo to a Times reporter.
"He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, discussing the developments on the Senate floor, said: "The country is being tested in unprecedented ways. I say to all of my colleagues in the Senate, history is watching."
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