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Putin Says Russia Is Open To James Comey If He Faces 'Persecution'

Vladimir Putin said James Comey could seek asylum in Russia in case he's persecuted for his role in the investigation of President Trump.

By: Grant Suneson

Posted at 7:51 PM, Jun 15, 2017

and last updated 2017-06-15 19:51:37-04

After his blockbuster Senate testimony, fired FBI Director James Comey got an offer from an unexpected source — Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

"If there's some kind of persecution, we would be ready to offer political asylum to Mr. Comey," Putin said at a Q&A session.

Putin compared Comey to Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who leaked thousands of National Security Agency documents about U.S. phone surveillance.

The offer may have been tongue-in-cheek, but it is interesting that Putin, who seems to have a good relationship with President Donald Trump, offered to shield Comey from prosecution at home.

Trump has repeatedly mentioned his distaste for leaks and speculated Comey illegally shared information about their meetings.

But some law experts say Comey did nothing wrong. Because Comey only released information about his impression of those meetings and not any government documents, he probably won't have to move to Moscow anytime soon.