A source says former FBI director James Comey was fired by President Trump for two reasons: refusing to offer personal loyalty to Trump, and the FBI's intensifying investigation into possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia.

The source, a person close to Comey, shared the two reasons with CNN Wednesday. The information contradicts the reasoning for Comey's firing as explained by the Trump administration.

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House said that Trump has been considering firing Comey since he took office in January.

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“The president … had lost confidence in Director Comey,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. “He’d been considering letting Director Comey go since they day he was elected.”

The White House denied that Trump ordered Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE and his deputy Rod Rosenstein to come up with a reason to fire Comey.

Trump both praised and criticized Comey during his 2016 campaign for his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Virginia Democrat blasts Trump's 'appalling' remark about COVID-19 deaths in 'blue states' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE’s private email server, and in April said in an interview that he “had confidence” in Comey.

FBI Director Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds! The phony... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017

...Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election. Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2017

Multiple reports on Wednesday said that Comey had requested more money for the FBI's investigation into possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia days before he was fired.