Former FBI Director James Comey reacts during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. Picture: AP

The former FBI director said that he would answer more questions that related to classified material during a closed hearing.

However, there are still many questions that remain unanswered.

ARE THERE TAPES OF COMEY AND TRUMP’S CONVERSATIONS?

“Lordy, I hope there are tapes,” Mr Comey said during his testimony, after he was asked about a tweet by Donald Trump in which the US President said the former FBI director should hope there aren’t any tapes of their conversations.

Mr Trump is likely to be the only person who would know if their conversations were taped. However, legal experts say he may be required to hand over any recordings made with Mr Comey.

Besides Mr Trump’s tweets, there is no evidence that any tapes actually exist.

DID TRUMP OBSTRUCT JUSTICE?

It is the burning question that will only become clear once all of the evidence is public and investigations have been completed.

Mr Comey said he believes that he was fired due to the Russia investigation.

In fact, Mr Trump admitted as much in meetings with the Russians.

“I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Mr Trump said, according to New York Times. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”

However, the US president has executive power to fire the FBI director for no reason at all so does this amount to an obstruction of justice?

James Comey said in his testimony that it is now up to former FBI boss Robert Mueller as special counsel to uncover whether Donald Trump obstructed justice. Picture: AP/Evan VucciSource:AP

Mr Comey said he would leave it to special counsel and former FBI boss Robert Mueller to conduct his investigation and publish a conclusion.

“I don’t know (if Trump obstructed justice),” Mr Comey said. “That’s Bob Mueller’s job to sort that out.”

WHY DID TRUMP ASK SESSIONS, KUSHNER TO LEAVE THE ROOM?

Mr Comey, Mr Trump, Attorney-General Jeff Sessions and senior adviser Jared Kushner were among those in a Valentine’s Day meeting on counterintelligence, however it was far from a love-in.

Mr Trump asked everyone except Mr Comey to leave the room. Once everyone was gone, Mr Comey said the president asked him if the FBI would drop its investigation into his National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who had recently been fired.

“He is a good guy, I hope you can let this go,” Mr Trump said, according to Mr Comey.

“He is a good man,” Mr Comey said he replied in an effort to end what was an awkward conversation.

Mr Comey did not elaborate on why Mr Trump wanted to speak to him alone.

Donald Trump asked his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner to leave the room so he could have a private conversation with James Comey. Picture: AFP/Mandel NganSource:AFP

WHAT COMEY WOULDN’T SAY ABOUT ATTORNEY-GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS

Mr Comey said there were a “variety of reasons” why Attorney-General Jeff Sessions was unable to be involved in the Russia investigation.

He opted, however, not to answer them in an open session, but said that he would speak to those matters in a private hearing.

“Our judgment, as I recall, was that he was very close to and inevitably going to recuse himself for a variety of reasons,” Mr Comey said. “We were also aware of facts that I can’t discuss in an open setting, that would make his continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic.

“So we were convinced and, in fact, I think we had already heard that people were recommending that he recuse himself, that he was not going to be in contact with Russia-related matters much longer. That turned out to be the case.”

Attorney-General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. Picture: AP/Evan VucciSource:AP

Mr Sessions recused himself, as Mr Comey had expected, from the Russia investigation after admitting he had conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak during the election campaign.

Mr Sessions failed to mention these meetings during his confirmation hearing.

WILL PRESIDENT TRUMP TESTIFY?

This is not something that the president’s advisers would recommend but the Senate Committee’s Republican chairman, Richard Burr, seemed to suggest that Mr Trump should provide his story to the panel.

“The American people need to hear your side of the story, just as they need to hear the president’s description of events,” Mr Burr said.

No sitting president has testified before a Senate committee since Woodrow Wilson in 1919, following WWI.

Originally published as James Comey: the unanswered questions