McCabe just made life tough for Comey and the special counsel

The Hill ^ | Jonathan Turley

[RoosterRedux]

Following his termination late Friday night, former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe declared that he was “singled out” after “unrelenting” attacks by President Trump and critics. McCabe’s objections are less than credible, given the virtually unprecedented recommendation of career officials to fire the one-time acting FBI director.

However, McCabe may have rectified his “singled out” status with his long statement criticizing his termination: In the middle of it is a line that could be viewed as incriminating fired FBI director James Comey, not just in leaking sensitive information but also in lying to Congress.

McCabe is accused of misleading investigators about allegedly giving information to a former Wall Street Journal reporter about the investigation of Hillary Clinton and the Clinton family’s charitable foundation. McCabe asserts in his post-firing statement that he not only had authority to “share” that information to the media but did so with the knowledge of “the director.” The FBI director at the time was Comey.

“I chose to share with a reporter through my public affairs officer and a legal counselor,” McCabe stated. “As deputy director, I was one of only a few people who had the authority to do that. It was not a secret, it took place over several days, and others, including the director, were aware of the interaction with the reporter.”

If the “interaction” means leaking the information, then McCabe’s statement would seem to directly contradict statements Comey made in a May 2017 congressional hearing. Asked if he had “ever been an anonymous source in news reports about matters relating to the Trump investigation or the Clinton investigation” or whether he had “ever authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports about the Trump investigation or the Clinton investigation,” Comey replied “never” and “no.”

[Sam Clements]

Our former President Obama is in the clear. Susan Rice remembers that he said to do everything by the book and then she preserved his statement in notes on her computer.

[KKDucMan]

McCabe said Comey “had knowledge” of the leak. Comey’s answer at the congressional hearing was he did not “authorize anyone” to leak. Big difference.

[A Navy Vet]

This completely convinces me that all we have heard about the DOJ Inspector General's report is devastating. Why else would McCabe finger Comey? I can't wait for April when it is supposedly released.

I seriously now believe that some top actors are going to be indicted. Sessions will have no choice if the IG's evidence is irrefutable.

[A Navy Vet]

"McCabe said Comey “had knowledge” of the leak. Comey’s answer at the congressional hearing was he did not “authorize anyone” to leak. Big difference."

Uh, that's Clintonspeak. If the FBI Director had prior knowledge of said leak and didn't prohibit it, then he is culpable. Period.

[Missouri gal]

So what they should do about McCabe’s public admission of the illegal release of information is charge him and then let him prove that Comey had full knowledge. Then they get two birds with one stone.