WASHINGTON _ The White House is reviewing whether to invoke executive privilege to prevent former FBI Director James Comey from testifying before a congressional panel next week.
Comey is scheduled to testify Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee about his May 9 firing by President Donald Trump. The panel is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and whether the president or his associates were involved.
Asked Friday if the White House might invoke executive privilege, press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters: "That committee hearing was just noticed, and I think obviously it's got to be reviewed."
He said he had not spoken to the White House counsel, Don McGahn, about the matter.
A second White House official confirmed that the issue is under review.
Senators will almost certainly ask Comey whether Trump asked him to drop an FBI investigation into former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russian government officials. Flynn was fired in February.
