Aides to President Donald Trump say he will not stop James Comey from speaking to members of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
Comey is the former head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Committee members want to question him about his talks with Trump before the president ordered his dismissal.
President Trump had been considering whether to say their discussions should be kept secret under the legal
doctrine
of "executive privilege."
In the past, other presidents have claimed executive privilege to keep their discussions with top aides secret. But if Trump had tried to do so with Comey, it would have caused many people to think that the administration was trying to hide information about the Russia investigation. And political observers believe courts would not have supported Trump's claim.
Presidential spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters the Trump administration wants a quick and complete examination of the facts.
Political observers say Comey's statements to the committee could harm the president.
Russian Involvement in 2016 elections?
Comey was leading the FBI investigation of Russian involvement in the 2016 elections at the time of his dismissal. He was also investigating possible illegal contacts between Trump campaign workers and Russian interests.
The Russians are accused of helping Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, defeat the Democratic Party's candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Speaking to a reporter, the president said he was thinking about the investigation into Russian involvement when he decided to dismiss the FBI director. Comey was in the fourth year of a 10-year term as head of the country's top criminal investigative agency.
Trump has often criticized the FBI and congressional investigations of possible Russian interference in the election. He has accused Democratic Party activists of using reports of Russian involvement to explain Clinton's loss in the elections.
