United States President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, on Thursday blasted former FBI Director James Comey for making “unauthorised disclosures to the press of privileged communications with the president.”

Kasowitz, however, said Comey’s testimony on Thursday proved the president was not under any investigation and there is no evidence a single vote was changed as a result of Russian interference in last year’s election.

“Contrary to numerous false press accounts leading up to today’s hearing, Mr Comey has now finally confirmed publicly what he repeatedly told President Trump privately. That is that the President was not under investigation as part of any probe into Russian interference,” he said.

Kasowitz denied Trump ever told Comey he needed and expected his loyalty, as Comey said, and also slammed the former FBI chief for saying he leaked details of a conversation with the president. Kasowitz added that “we will leave it the appropriate authorities” to determine whether Comey’s leak “should be investigated along with all those others being investigated.”

He said, “”The President also never told Mr Comey, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” He never said it in form and he never said it in substance.

“Of course, the Office of the President is entitled to expect loyalty from those who are serving the administration, and, from before this President took office to this day, it is overwhelmingly clear that there have been and continue to be those in government who are actively attempting to undermine this administration with selective and illegal leaks of classified information and privileged communications.

“Mr Comey has now admitted that he is one of these leakers. Today, Mr Comey admitted that he unilaterally and surreptitiously made unauthorised disclosures to the press of privileged communications with the President.”

Comey’s accusations could further mire Trump’s administration in legal difficulties, as special counsel Robert Mueller, appointed by the Justice Department after Comey was fired, and several congressional committees investigate alleged Russian efforts to influence the election.

Russia has denied such interference. The White House also denied any collusion.