James Comey says conversation memos with Trump are 'unclassified'

Former FBI director James Comey defends sharing memos of his conversation with United States President Donald Trump on Thursday, claiming the memos to be unclassified.

In a conversation with the Fox News Comey said, "That memo was unclassified then." while referring to the allegations made by President Trump earlier saying that Comey revealed certain classified information in latter's recently- released book.

Comey further said, "It's still unclassified. It's in my book. The FBI cleared that book before it could be published." Fox quoted.

On April 17, Comey released a book named, "A Higher Loyalty," a memoir that includes explosive details about the run-up to his firing as FBI director by US President."

Trump in an April 15 tweet said, "he gave up Classified Information (jail), why did he lie to Congress (jail), why did the DNC refuse to give Server to the FBI (why didn't they TAKE it), why the phony memos, McCabe's $700,000 & more?"

Comey further said in the interview that he had shared the memos with at least three people including his friend and a Columbian University professor. He admitted having himself asked the professor to send out the details of the unclassified memos to media.

He said the memos were personal and not official as he kept one of its copies at the FBI office and one with himself.

Earlier the United States Justice Department had interviewed Comey regarding the handling of these memos.

James Comey was fired in 2017 by President Trump on accounts of meddling with the US elections.