Former FBI Director James Comey said that he is willing to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee, but only if he can do so publicly.

The news was first reported in the New York Times, who cited a "close associate" of Comey.

Comey on Friday declined an invitation to appear before the committee next week in a closed-door session. The committee is investigating whether Trump's campaigns had ties to Russia, and the extent to which Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump fired Comey on Tuesday, igniting a storm among members of Congress who suggested he did so to halt the Russian investigation.