James Comey reportedly rebuffed Trump's attempts to get chummy
According to a New York Times report that cited two people briefed on a call between Comey and Trump.
Comey had explained to Trump how the White House ought to communicate with the FBI, after Trump had asked Comey when they were going to announce that he was not under investigation.
Comey attempted to make clear the limits of the FBI's and the White House's relationship and maintain his bureau's independence, which he believed was under threat since the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign's alleged connections to Russia.
Comey reportedly told Trump that if he wanted details on the FBI's investigations, he ought to contact the Justice Department and follow proper procedures.
Other interactions between the White House and Comey illustrate what The Times depicted as an uncomfortable relationship between the two entities.
During a dinner where Trump had allegedly asked Comey for his pledge of loyalty, Trump expressed his grievances with the investigation into Mike Flynn, his former national security adviser, and asked Comey to drop the investigation, according to The Times' sources that revealed a memo written by Comey shortly after the meeting.
The day after the conversation, The Times reports that White House chief of staff Reince Priebus had asked Comey to assist in deflecting media reports that claimed Trump's surrogates had been in contact with Russian intelligence agents prior to Trump's inauguration.
The Justice Department's guidelines prohibit conversations between the White House and FBI with regard to active criminal investigations, unless they are "important for the performance of the president's duties and appropriate from a law enforcement perspective," The Times reported. If necessary, the conversations are limited to the attorney general or deputy attorney general.
Comey also expressed his frustration over Trump's attempts to build a personal relationship, according to Benjamin Wittes, a friend of Comey and the editor-in-chief of the Lawfare blog. Wittes explained that Comey believed after his phone call with Trump, he had "kind of got them trained."
"He had to throw some brushback pitches to the administration," said Wittes.
Wittes also described another incident between Trump and Comey that had Comey concerned, according to The Times' report:
Comey did not. Trump called him over from across the room, and the two shook hands as attendees applauded.