United States President Donald Trump warned the ousted Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey on Friday against talking to the media, indicating that there may be recorded "tapes" of their conversations which could contradict his account.
Trump, earlier this week, had abruptly fired Comey from the top position citing his mishandling of the Hillary Clinton emails case last year. However, the former FBI chief's sudden firing has raised suspicions that Trump may have done so as a cover-up for the Russia investigations Comey was actively working on.
The FBI director had revealed in March that his agency was investigating possible links between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia, as Moscow sought to interfere in the US presidential elections last year.
"James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" Trump said in a string of Twitter posts.
According to a New York Times report, Trump had asked Comey in January to pledge loyalty to him, a request that would undermine the standing of the FBI chief as an independent law enforcer. This report has strengthened the critic's charges that the president has overstepped the norms of his office, according to Reuters.
Trump, on Friday, appeared to suggest on Twitter that if Comey presented his version of contact between him and the Republican president, then the administration may produce tapes of conversations of them. It is not yet clear if such recorded tapes actually exist, but Trump's tweet was a veiled threat that added to the controversy over after Comey's firing.
Democrats have accused Trump of attempting to affect the FBI investigation into his team's links with Russia. The party members have called for a special counsel to investigate the Russia issue, and the White House, in turn, has said that a special prosecutor in the case is not required.
The New York Times report said that Comey has told associates he declined to make a pledge of loyalty to Trump when the president requested it as the pair had dinner at the White House just seven days after his inauguration. Comey instead told the Republican president he could count on his honesty, the Times said.
"It's shocking to the conscience. We've got to address that," Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings said, referring to Trump's behaviour towards Comey.
