Ex-FBI Director Comey to Give Testimony to US Senate Intelligence Cmte. June 8

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey will provide testimony before the US Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8 regarding the probe into Russia and the 2016 US election, the panel said in a statement on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The open hearing will be followed by a closed session at 1 p.m. (5 p.m. GMT).

"[Former] Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey will testify before the Committee on June 8, 2017 the statement noted. The hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. (2:00 p.m. GMT) in open session."

On May 19, the Intelligence Committee announced that Comey has agreed to appear before the panel after Memorial Day. The panel’s chairman Richard Burr noted that the testimony should help to clarify the recent events related to the Russia probe.

President Donald Trump fired Comey on May 10 based on recommendation of Attorney general Jeff Sessions. The decision sparked immediate criticism of Democrats who claimed Comey has been removed because he could shed light on the president's alleged connections with Russia.

After the firing, US media reported that Trump asked Comey in a private meeting to halt an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's business ties with Moscow.

The White House denied all allegations and emphasized that Trump has never told Comey to stop any existing investigations.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied interfering in the US election and called the allegations absurd.