WASHINGTON _ Former FBI Director James B. Comey has declined an offer to testify on Tuesday in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"He won't be testifying on Tuesday but it is our hope in the not too distant future that we can find time for him to come," Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the panel, said on MSNBC on Friday afternoon. "I believe the appropriate time and place, he will tell his side of the story. And my hope is that will be in front of our committee."
Both Republicans and Democrats had hoped Comey would shed light on the circumstances surrounding his termination Tuesday and provide an update on the ongoing investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 election.
While the panel will not hear from Comey, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein agreed on Friday to hold an all-senators briefing next week to discuss the firing, according to an aide to Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York.
The time and date of that briefing _ which was one of the demands made by Democrats in the wake of Comey's termination _ has not yet been determined.
Rosenstein has drawn criticism from Democrats for a letter he signed along with Attorney General Jeff Sessions that recommended President Donald Trump fire Comey.
