The White House says President Trump is sending a certified letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham attesting that the president has no connections to Russia.

Graham told CNN on Tuesday he wants to explore possible ties between Trump's businesses and Russia. The South Carolina Republican chairs a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer says Mr. Trump has asked a Washington law firm to send a certified letter to Graham stating that he has no connections to Russia.

Get Breaking News Delivered to Your Inbox

Spicer says Mr. Trump has no business in Russia or ties to the country. He says based on that Graham's inquiry "should be a really easy look."

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the election in attempt to help Mr. Trump.

The news of the letter came earlier in the day, before the president fired the FBI director, who had been overseeing an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia.