Former FBI director James Comey on Sunday dismissed a House intelligence committee report that found no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign as a “political document”.

Interviewed on NBC’s Meet the Press, Comey said the most important investigation into Russian election interference and alleged links between Trump aides and Moscow was being conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller. The Senate judiciary and intelligence committees are also investigating.

Democrats on the House committee protested the conclusions of the report, claiming the Republican majority had acted primarily to defend Trump. The president has repeatedly denied that any collusion with Russia occurred and called the various investigations into the matter a witch hunt.

Comey said that though he himself had a “fine and professional” relationship with the House committee chairman, the California Republican Devin Nunes, the panel’s work had become too politicized. Nunes has been heavily criticized for being too close to the White House.



Politicisation, Comey said, had “wrecked the committee, and it damaged relationships with the Fisa court, the intelligence communities. It’s just a wreck”.

The House report was issued on Friday. Comey, who was fired by Trump last May, said his understanding of the facts at the time of his firing did not support the president’s assertion that there was zero evidence of collusion and that the Russia investigation was a hoax.

Shortly after Comey was fired, Trump told NBC he made the move because of “this Russia thing”.

Comey is in the course of a lengthy promotional schedule for his book, A Higher Loyalty. He has said he does not think Trump is morally fit to be president. Speaking to NBC, he said he had “serious doubts” about Trump’s credibility as a witness should he ever be interviewed by Mueller.

“Sometimes people who have serious credibility problems can tell the truth when they realize that the consequences of not telling the truth in an interview or in the grand jury would be dire,” Comey said. “But you’d have to go in with a healthy sense that he might lie to you.”

Trump has continually attacked Comey, accusing him of lying and leaking confidential material. On Friday, for example, he tweeted that the former FBI director was “either very sick or very dumb”.

Regarding when he thought Mueller might complete his investigation, as November’s midterm elections approach, Comey said the special counsel was “definitely attentive to the calendar, and like all good prosecutors, wants to finish as quickly as he can”.