Mr. Bharara said the contacts with Mr. Trump made him increasingly uncomfortable because they broke with longstanding Justice Department rules on communicating with the White House. Mr. Comey said he believed that Mr. Trump, who requested his loyalty during the meal, was trying to “create some sort of patronage relationship.”Mr. Bharara said he had a similar feeling about his conversations with Mr. Trump. The first contact between Mr. Trump and Mr. Bharara took place on Nov. 30, on the 26th floor of Trump Tower in Manhattan. Mr. Trump, then the president-elect, praised his work and asked for him to stay on, Mr. Bharara said. Because Mr. Trump was not yet president, Mr. Bharara said he believed it was fine to call him.

Source: New York Times June 12, 2017 00:00 UTC