Comey blasts Trump administration 'lies,' efforts to 'defame me'

Former FBI director James Comey laced into President Trump and the White House during his much-anticipated Congressional testimony Thrusday, accusing the administration of working to "defame" him and the FBI, and telling "lies" to the American people.

"Although the law requires no reason at all to fire an FBI director the administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI by saying that the organization was in disarray, that it was poorly led, that the work force had lost confidence in its leader," Comey said.

"Those were lies plain and simple. And I am so sorry that the FBI work force had to hear them and I am so sorry that the American people were told them."

Comey, whom the president fired last month, submitted his statement to the committee, which was released Wednesday.

It describes a series of uncomfortable interactions with Trump, in which he says the president requested his loyalty and pressed him to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was fired after the White House said he misrepresented the nature of his contact with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

Some of the allegations in Comey's statement have been directly contradicted by the White House in the past. On May 12, press secretary Sean Spicer rejected the notion that Trump ever asked Comey to pledge loyalty, and on May 18 Trump himself said he never urged Comey to back off the investigation into Flynn.

"The president disputes that he ever asked for Jim Comey's loyalty and he disputes that he ever asked Comey to let the Flynn investigation go in any way," a source familiar with the president's thinking told ABC News today.

In a room packed with journalists, guests, as well as interns and young staffers, Comey told the committee that he first learned of his firing from media reports on television, which he said "confused" him because the president had "repeatedly" praised him for "doing a great job."

Trump administration's 'shifting explanations'

Comey said he believes the Trump administration tried to smear his reputation and provide "shifting explanations" for his firing that were untrue.

"The shifting explanations confused me and increasingly concerned me," Comey testified. "They confused me because the president and I had multiple conversations about my job, both before and after he took office. And he had repeatedly told me I was doing a great job and he hoped I would stay.

"I repeatedly told him I did intend to stay and serve out the remaining six years of my term. He told me repeatedly he had talked to lots of people about me, including our current attorney general and had learned that I was doing a great job and that I was extremely well liked."

Comey concluded his opening remarks to the committee with a heartfelt statement to his former colleagues at the FBI.

"The FBI is honest, the FBI is strong and the FBI is and always will be independent," Comey said. "And now to my former colleagues, if I may, I am so sorry that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to you properly. It was the honor of my life to serve beside you, to be a part of the FBI family and I will miss it for the rest of my life."

A 'very, very awkward' relationship

Comey, responding to questions from committee members, described his relationship with Trump as "very, very awkward," as the president pressed him to stop pursuing the investigation into Flynn.

"He was asking for something and I was refusing to give it," Comey told the committee.

When asked by a committee member why he never told Trump his request was inappropriate, Comey said he was too "stunned" by their conversation to respond more forcefully.

"Maybe if I were stronger, I would have. I was so stunned by the conversation that I just took it in," Comey said. "I was playing in my mind to remember every word he said. I was playing in my mind, 'What should my response be?' That's why I very carefully chose the words."

He acknowledged that Trump never actually said the FBI should drop the probe into Flynn. But the former FBI director made clear that he believes that's what the president wanted, based on how their conversation unfolded.

On another matter, Comey said he decided to take notes of his meetings with Trump because of "the nature of the person" he was dealing with.

"I was honestly concerned he might lie about the nature of our meeting, so I thought it really important to document," Comey told the committee.

Comey also said, "I'd seen the tweet about tapes," referring to Trump's tweet suggesting their conversations might have been recorded. "I hope there are tapes. I remember saying, 'I agree, [Flynn] is a good guy' as a way of saying, I'm not agreeing with what he asked me to do."

ABC News has learned that Trump will be watching Comey's hearing and testimony today with his legal team and senior advisers from the president's personal dining room near the Oval Office in the White House.

On May 9, Trump fired Comey from his position as FBI director after receiving letters recommending he do so from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Sources told ABC News that the firing came as a surprise to Comey. As one source said, he was "angry" and wants the public to know why.

Prior to Comey's testimony today, a person close to the former FBI director told ABC News he was prepared and calm.

"That's what happens when you are armed with the truth; it washes all over you," the individual told ABC News.

ABC News' Mike Levine, Jonathan Karl and Pierre Thomas contributed to this report.