Donald Trump threatens James Comey with 'tapes' of conversations on Russia investigation

In a Twitter tirade on Friday morning (12 May), US President Donald Trump threatened former FBI Director James Comey with the suggestion that there were tapes of conversations between the two.

"James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!" President Trump tweeted, refering to now disputed talks the two had before Trump summarily fired Comey on Tuesday night.

In his letter dismissing Comey, Trump awkwardly thanked the FBI chief for "informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation."

When questioned by a Senate panel, Comey's successor, acting-FBI Director Andrew McCabe, said that he could not confirm the conversations between Comey and the president but that it would not be standard practice to inform anyone whether they were being investigated.

On Thursday night, US media then reported that Comey had not had those conversations though at a dinner arranged by Trump, the President asked Comey numberous times for his "loyalty", while Comey responded that he could only offer his "honesty".

During a senate hearing last week, before he was fired, Comey said that he was "mildly naseaous" at the thought that he could have affected the outcome of the presidential election - a nod to his infamous letter to Congress just 10 days before the vote that many, including Hillary Clinton, count as a reason for Trump's victory.

The implied threat adds a new aspect to an already growing scandal, with the White House press office seemingly struggling to keep up with the President's own contradictory statements on the narrative of Comey's dismissal.

Trump has become characteristically active on Twitter in the last few days as questions mount about the incident. On Thursday night, he even took the time to troll his old nemesis Rosie O'Donnell over her past statements on Comey.