James Comey has been asked to appear before Senate Intelligence Committee next Tuesday
The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee asked former FBI Director James Comey Wednesday morning to come before their panel next Tuesday, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, confirmed to CBS News.
- FULL COVERAGE: The firing of FBI Director James Comey
Warner confirmed that he and Chairman Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, have made the request, but they haven't received a response yet. An aide to the committee said that Comey has been invited to the closed session on Tuesday.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, a top Democrat on the committee, told reporters, it's "extremely important that Comey come to an open hearing in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as quickly as possible and testify as to the status of the U.S.-Russia investigation at the time of his firing."
Comey was scheduled to appear at an Intelligence hearing on worldwide threats Thursday, but now acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe will take his place.
Wyden also questioned why Attorney General Jeff Sessions played a role in Comey's firing, considering that he had recused himself from the Russia investigation.
"It seems to me Jeff Sessions has engaged in a blatant disregard for the commitment he made to the Congress and the country in his recusal letter and in my view, it raises serious questions about his fitness for office," he said.
Senate Democrats huddled behind closed doors Wednesday morning to discuss the situation surrounding Comey's firing. Lawmakers leaving the meeting said that there are "a lot of options on the table," but none revealed what those options are.
The top Democrat on Senate Intelligence, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, said, "I agree that we ought to have a special prosecutor that can be appointed by an individual. I believe that individual should not be one of the political appointees. I don't have faith in the political appointees. It should be appointed by a senior-most career lawyer at Justice Department."
This comes a day after President Trump fired Comey in a sudden move. In a letter to Comey, the president said that he accepted the recommendation from the attorney general and deputy attorney general that Comey be "terminated and removed from office."
CBS News' Nancy Cordes contributed to this report.
