Comey confidant says Trump should fear former FBI head’s upcoming testimony

Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by President Trump, has agreed to speak at an open Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, which will take place after Memorial Day.

Benjamin Wittes, a friend of the former director, says Trump should fear that event. In an appearance on CNN's 'AC360,' he told host Anderson Cooper, "I found it interesting and very telling that [Comey] declined any opportunity to tell his story in private."

He continued, "This is a guy with a story to tell. I think if I were Donald Trump that would scare me a lot."

Wittes said he decided to publicly comment on the matter after hearing news that Trump had allegedly asked Comey for his loyalty, to which Comey reportedly gave only assurances of honesty.

That exchange reportedly took place on January 27 during a dinner meeting, reports the Washington Post.

According to the media outlet, Trump denies that conversation ever occurred, while Wittes recalls Comey describing the exchange to him, "in general terms..." and telling him, "...that Trump was perceptibly uncomfortable with this answer."

Trump did, of course, ultimately fire Comey on May 9, with the White House initially saying he did so based on the advice of the Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, notes the New York Times.

The president later told NBC's Lester Holt that the decision was his own, and based, in part, on Comey being a "showboat" and his investigation into "this Russia thing."