被免職的聯(lián)邦調(diào)查局(FBI)局長詹姆斯•科米(James Comey)在國會作證時指控白宮說了關(guān)于他和FBI的謊言,這可能會削弱唐納德•特朗普(Donald Trump)總統(tǒng)的權(quán)威,并助燃針對他的團(tuán)隊“通俄”的調(diào)查。
Mr Comey’s allegation came at a high-stakes Senate intelligence committee hearing where he repeatedly characterised Mr Trump as untrustworthy, at one point asserting “Lordy, I hope there are tapes” of his conversations with the president to demonstrate the veracity of his testimony.
科米在參議院情報委員會一場事關(guān)重大的聽證會上發(fā)出上述指控,他多次強調(diào)特朗普不可信賴,一度斷言“天哪,我希望有磁帶”錄下他與總統(tǒng)的談話,以證明他的證詞的真實性。
His testimony could prove pivotal to the multiple inquiries into whether members of Mr Trump’s inner circle had improper contacts with Russia during last year’s presidential campaign.
他的證詞可能被證明對多起調(diào)查起到關(guān)鍵作用,這些調(diào)查的焦點是特朗普小圈子的成員在去年總統(tǒng)競選期間是否與俄羅斯有不恰當(dāng)接觸。
For the first time, Mr Comey confirmed that Michael Flynn, a former campaign aide who became Mr Trump’s first national security adviser, was under criminal investigation when the president privately suggested to him that the FBI drop its case against the retired general.
科米首次證實,當(dāng)總統(tǒng)私下建議他讓FBI放棄對曾擔(dān)任競選助理,后成為特朗普首位國家安全顧問的邁克爾•弗林(Michael Flynn)的案子時,這位退役將軍正受到刑事調(diào)查。
Mr Comey said he was “stunned” when Mr Trump made the request during a private Oval Office meeting. “I took it as a direction that this is what he wants me to do,” Mr Comey said.
科米表示,當(dāng)特朗普在橢圓形辦公室私下會面期間提出這一要求時,他感到“震驚”??泼渍f:“我認(rèn)為這是他想讓我照辦的一個指示。”
Mr Comey’s understanding of the conversation could prove critical to the Justice Department’s investigation into the Russia case, which is now being headed by special prosecutor Robert Mueller.
科米對這番交談的理解可能對美國司法部對俄羅斯案的調(diào)查至關(guān)重要,該調(diào)查現(xiàn)由特別檢察官羅伯特•米勒(Robert Mueller)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。
Mr Comey said that at the time of the meeting, Mr Flynn was “in legal jeopardy”. He also suggested that Mr Mueller was likely ?to examine whether Mr Trump’s remarks were an attempt to obstruct justice.
科米表示,在上述私下會面時,弗林“處于法律上的危險處境”。他還提出,米勒很可能會調(diào)查特朗普的言論是否構(gòu)成企圖妨礙司法。
“I don’t think it’s for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct,” he said. “I took it as a very disturbing thing . . . but that’s a conclusion I’m sure the special counsel will work towards, to try and understand what the intention was . . . and whether that’s an offence.”
他說:“關(guān)于我與總統(tǒng)的那番談話是否構(gòu)成妨礙,我不認(rèn)為我有資格下結(jié)論。我覺得這是一件非常令人不安的事情……但我相信特別檢察官會研究這個結(jié)論,以試圖了解意圖是什么……以及這是否構(gòu)成犯罪。”
Although Mr Comey had detailed the contents of the meetings and phone calls he had with Mr Trump in testimony published Wednesday, he used his opening statement to vent anger at the White House, saying he had become “increasingly concerned” with the changing explanations the Trump administration gave to justify his firing last month.
雖然科米先前已在周三發(fā)表的證詞中詳述了他與特朗普的會面及電話交談內(nèi)容,但他仍利用開場白對白宮發(fā)泄憤怒,稱他“越來越擔(dān)憂”特朗普政府為證明上月有理由炒掉他而不斷改口的解釋。
While his account of the private meetings was detailed and dispassionate, he showed unexpected emotion when he addressed Mr Trump’s claim, made after his sacking, that he had mismanaged the FBI and was unpopular within its ranks.
雖然他對私下會面的回憶詳細(xì)而不帶情緒,但當(dāng)他說到特朗普在炒掉他之后宣稱他對FBI管理不善,而且不受該局工作人員擁護(hù)時,他意外動情。
“The administration then chose to defame me and, more importantly, the FBI by saying that the organisation was in disarray . . . that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader,” Mr Comey said. “Those were lies, plain and simple.”
“行政當(dāng)局后來選擇詆毀我、更重要的是詆毀FBI,稱該局處于混亂狀態(tài)……工作人員對局領(lǐng)導(dǎo)失去信心,”科米說,“這些都是徹頭徹尾的謊言。”
Mr Comey confirmed he had told Mr Trump on several occasions that the president was not a target of the FBI investigation. In addition, Mr Comey said he had intentionally leaked his post-meeting notes of his conversations with Mr Trump to a friend with instructions to share them with US media outlets.
科米證實,他曾多次告訴特朗普,總統(tǒng)本人并非FBI的調(diào)查對象。此外,科米表示,他有意將自己與特朗普交談后所作的筆記泄露給一位朋友,指示后者將這些信息分享給美國媒體。
Mr Comey said he documented his private conversations with Mr Trump — which he had not done with predecessors Barack Obama or George W Bush — because he was concerned the president might mischaracterise their content. “I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting,” he said.
科米表示,他對自己與特朗普的私人談話作了筆記——他從未對特朗普的前任巴拉克•奧巴馬(Barack Obama)或喬治·W·布什(George W Bush)這樣做——因為他擔(dān)心特朗普可能對他們的談話內(nèi)容進(jìn)行錯誤陳述。他說:“我真的很擔(dān)心他可能在交談的性質(zhì)上撒謊。”