Story highlights A Columbia law prof leaked information from Comey's memo to the press

Comey was asked by Sen. Susan Collins if he shared the memos with anyone outside of the Justice Department

Washington (CNN) Fired FBI Director James Comey saw a tweet from President Donald Trump and made a decision that will have untold ramifications.

"James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" Trump tweeted on the morning of May 12.

James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017

It was that tweet, Comey told the Senate intelligence committee Thursday, that spurred him to leak contents of his memos documenting interactions with the President to the press.

"The President tweeted on Friday, after I got fired, that I better hope there's not tapes," Comey said. "I woke up in the middle of the night on Monday night, because it didn't dawn on me originally, that there might be corroboration for our conversation, there might be a tape."

Comey, who wrote memos after his meetings with Trump, had shared the documents with fellow FBI officials. Asked during the Senate hearing if he shared the memos elsewhere, Comey explained he asked a "good friend" who is a "professor at Columbia law school" to be an intermediary with the press.

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