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SALT LAKE CITY — After speaking with former FBI Director James Comey Monday, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, postponed a planned appearance by Comey later this week before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Chaffetz, the committee's chairman, tweeted late Monday afternoon that he "Spoke with Comey. He wants to speak with Special Counsel prior to public testimony. Hearing Wed postponed. @GOPOversight".
The congressman, who announced last week he is stepping down June 30 and is widely expected to take a post with Fox News, was at KSTU in Salt Lake City when he received the call from Comey.
Chaffetz was headed to Washington, D.C. late Monday afternoon and declined to be interviewed about the call. KSTU news director Marc Sternfield tweeted that Chaffetz spoke to Comey "at the @fox13 studios (privately). 'No comment' afterward."
Comey, fired by President Donald Trump earlier this month, apparently intends to confer with another former FBI director, Robert Mueller, the special counsel over the agency's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.
However, Comey has already agreed to testify publicly before the Senate Intelligence Committee sometime after Memorial Day.
Last week, Chaffetz said he had his "subpoena pen ready" to get a copy of the memo Comey reportedly wrote detailing President Donald Trump's request to end an investigation into former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The New York Times reported May 16 the memo said Trump told Comey during a White House meeting in February, "I hope you can let this go," referring to the FBI's ongoing investigation of ties between Trump associates and Russia.
Chaffetz said Sunday in an interview on ABC's "This Week" that he had not yet spoken directly with Comey after ordering the FBI to turn over the memo and other documents, and asking Comey to testify before the committee Wednesday.
The congressman has cast doubt on news reports that there are written accounts from Comey detailing his meetings with Trump, saying Sunday that "it's important to remember nobody's actually seen these documents."
He also said Trump has made "a very good point" about people who leak information and said no matter which party has control of the White House, "you probably ought to put handcuffs on them and put them in jail."
It's not clear if Chaffetz will remain chairman of the committee until he leaves Congress. Some Republicans are said to be pushing for him to be replaced quickly because of the growing Russia scandal.
On Sunday, Chaffetz said he will "pass the baton" and has been "honest and candid" about the timing of his departure. He said "there's a lot of investigations going on. A lot of good work. And I want to do it in the right way."
