Associates skeptical Comey cleared Trump in Russia investigation

— -- Associates of James Comey are highly skeptical that the former FBI director told Donald Trump he was not under investigation in the Russia probe as the president claimed in a letter firing Comey.

While it is conceivable there was a misunderstanding on Trump's part, the sources said Comey would never have cleared Trump with the investigation still underway.

"While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau," wrote Trump Tuesday in a letter informing Comey of his termination.

Comey, a former United States attorney and deputy attorney general, is known to speak in a deliberate manner. It would have been highly inappropriate to discuss an active investigation and sources close to Comey said he knows better than anyone that one never knows how a probe will end until it's over.

When acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe was asked by the Senate Intelligence Community today about Trump's characterization, McCabe declined to say whether the president was given assurances.

"I will not comment on whether the director and President had that kind of a conversation," McCabe said.

But White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reiterated Trump's claim to ABC News' chief anchor George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America" this morning.

"I have heard that directly from him that information was relayed directly to him from director Comey," she said.

During his testimony on May 3 before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey was asked directly by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., "Have you ruled out the President of the United States?"

Comey avoided a direct answer to the question.

"I don’t want people to over-interpret this answer," said Comey. "I am not going to comment on anyone in particular because that puts me down a slope, because if I say no to that then I have to answer succeeding questions. So, what we’ve done is we’ve briefed the chair and ranking on who the U.S. persons are that we’ve opened investigations on and that’s as far as we are going to go at this point."

Blumenthal followed, "But as a former prosecutor, you know that when there is an investigation into several potentially culpable individuals, the evidence from those individuals and can lead to others, correct?"

"Correct, we are always open minded and we follow the evidence wherever it takes us," Comey responded.

Blumenthal pressed again, "So potentially, the President of the United States could be a target of your investigation into the Trump campaign’s involvement with Russian interference in our election, correct?"

Comey would not answer. "I just worry, I don’t want to answer that, that seems to me unfair speculation, we will follow the evidence, we will try and find as much as we can and we’ll follow the evidence wherever it leads."

The stance was reiterated by Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe who was asked by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Thursday if it "would have been wrong" for Comey to inform a person that they were not under investigation.

"We do not typically answer that question," said McCabe.

Many FBI agents are outraged at the use of the word "atrocities" being used to describe Comey's actions and worry that the Department of Justice's current leadership may not support them if they find wrongdoing by Trump associates.