NEW YORK — Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe lent some credibility to a previous White House claim that some FBI personnel were upset over the agency’s decision, under the leadership of disgraced ex-FBI Director James Comey, not to charge Hillary Clinton in the criminal probe of her private email server use.
The claim that some FBI rank-and-file workers lost confidence in Comey following his infamous press conference announcing that no charges would be brought has been in dispute.
Yet in largely unreported testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on December 21, 2017, McCabe confirmed that some FBI personnel were “surprised” and “frustrated” with the result of the Clinton email case as announced by Comey. A transcript of McCabe’s testimony was released three weeks ago by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins, R-Ga.
On July 5, 2016, at the height of the presidential campaign, Comey held a notorious press conference during which he bypassed Justice Department tradition by unilaterally declaring that “no charges are appropriate” in the case of Clinton’s private email server. It is not the role of the FBI to make such pronouncements.
In his testimony, McCabe clarified that he was “not aware” of sentiments expressing disappointment or surprise from within the small unit that specifically investigated Clinton’s email case. But he stated several times that there was negative sentiment about Comey’s decision within the larger FBI.
Top GOP group pumps $37M into fight on key issue dominating midterm races: ‘Much more to come’
Talarico says the divide is ‘top vs. bottom’ — then heads to one of America’s richest donor enclaves
Rubio gives Iran deal the silent treatment
How Brendan Carr’s attack on TV stations echoes FCC chairman under JFK
The wish to be like Wolfgang: Review of ‘Amadeus’
Minnesota AG Ellison lashes out when grilled on fraud scandal: ‘I’m done talking to you’
WATCH: Tuberville backs Trump’s Iran deal as Democrat blasts ‘surrender’
Israel ‘remains firmly committed’ to ceasefire but will continue occupation of southern Lebanon
News Outlet Caves to Democratic Senate Candidate, Kills Poll That Makes Her Look Bad
Watch: Angel Reese Shoves Caitlin Clark, Then Mocks Her as Long-Running Rivalry Is Renewed
Karmelo Anthony runs away after murdering Austin Metcalf: surveillance video
Michigan trio allegedly beat, strangled and gagged man at Las Vegas hotel to collect on gambling debts
Body found in South Carolina ID’d as missing fitness trainer who told friend she was ‘scared for her life’
Obama Snubs Trump from Presidential Center Opening, Then Subtly Attacks Him
North Carolina furniture manufacturer allegedly kills business partner hours after losing contract dispute
“I am not aware of those sentiments within the team,” MCcCabe said. “But I am aware that the outcome of the case was surprising, and maybe frustrating to many people, including some of the people who work for the FBI.”
Asked what those FBI employees were surprised about, McCabe replied, “I think, like many people around the country, they were surprised by the result in the case and the fact that we were not recommending pursuing charges.”
“When I say surprise,” he added, “I’m talking about people who heard the Director’s statement on July 5 and were frustrated with that result, not people who were engaged in the investigation or the prosecutors across the street at the Department of Justice.”
“I am not aware of a revolution,” McCabe replied before going on to once again concede that some FBI agents were indeed surprised and possibly frustrated.
“As I said, there was certainly FBI personnel who were surprised and maybe frustrated by that result,” McCabe continued. “Director Comey spent a lot of time, in the months following his announcement, you know, in visits to field offices and interactions with retired agents’ groups, and things like that, answering a lot of questions about why we had done what we had done.”
Top GOP group pumps $37M into fight on key issue dominating midterm races: ‘Much more to come’
Talarico says the divide is ‘top vs. bottom’ — then heads to one of America’s richest donor enclaves
Rubio gives Iran deal the silent treatment
How Brendan Carr’s attack on TV stations echoes FCC chairman under JFK
The wish to be like Wolfgang: Review of ‘Amadeus’
Minnesota AG Ellison lashes out when grilled on fraud scandal: ‘I’m done talking to you’
WATCH: Tuberville backs Trump’s Iran deal as Democrat blasts ‘surrender’
Israel ‘remains firmly committed’ to ceasefire but will continue occupation of southern Lebanon
News Outlet Caves to Democratic Senate Candidate, Kills Poll That Makes Her Look Bad
Watch: Angel Reese Shoves Caitlin Clark, Then Mocks Her as Long-Running Rivalry Is Renewed
Karmelo Anthony runs away after murdering Austin Metcalf: surveillance video
Michigan trio allegedly beat, strangled and gagged man at Las Vegas hotel to collect on gambling debts
Body found in South Carolina ID’d as missing fitness trainer who told friend she was ‘scared for her life’
Obama Snubs Trump from Presidential Center Opening, Then Subtly Attacks Him
North Carolina furniture manufacturer allegedly kills business partner hours after losing contract dispute
The White House official who took the most flack for saying that FBI agents were upset over the case was undoubtedly White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who made a statement to that effect to reporters on May 10, 2017.
“Most importantly, the rank-and-file of the FBI had lost confidence in Comey,” she said, discussing Comey’s loss of credibility. “We’ve heard from countless members of the FBI that say very different things.”
According to the final report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office, Sanders walked back some of those statements.
Reads the report: “Sanders told this Office that her reference to hearing from ‘countless members of the FBI’ was a ‘slip of the tongue.’”
“She also recalled that her statement in a separate press interview that rank-and-file FBI agents had lost confidence in Comey was a comment she made ‘in the heat of the moment’ that was not founded on anything,” the report continued.
After the release of Mueller’s report, Sanders went on Fox News where she maintained that the claim about disgruntled FBI agents over the Clinton email case was “not untrue.”
Top GOP group pumps $37M into fight on key issue dominating midterm races: ‘Much more to come’
Talarico says the divide is ‘top vs. bottom’ — then heads to one of America’s richest donor enclaves
Rubio gives Iran deal the silent treatment
How Brendan Carr’s attack on TV stations echoes FCC chairman under JFK
The wish to be like Wolfgang: Review of ‘Amadeus’
Minnesota AG Ellison lashes out when grilled on fraud scandal: ‘I’m done talking to you’
WATCH: Tuberville backs Trump’s Iran deal as Democrat blasts ‘surrender’
Israel ‘remains firmly committed’ to ceasefire but will continue occupation of southern Lebanon
News Outlet Caves to Democratic Senate Candidate, Kills Poll That Makes Her Look Bad
Watch: Angel Reese Shoves Caitlin Clark, Then Mocks Her as Long-Running Rivalry Is Renewed
Karmelo Anthony runs away after murdering Austin Metcalf: surveillance video
Michigan trio allegedly beat, strangled and gagged man at Las Vegas hotel to collect on gambling debts
Body found in South Carolina ID’d as missing fitness trainer who told friend she was ‘scared for her life’
Obama Snubs Trump from Presidential Center Opening, Then Subtly Attacks Him
North Carolina furniture manufacturer allegedly kills business partner hours after losing contract dispute
“I acknowledge that I had a slip of the tongue when I used the word ‘countless,’ but it’s not untrue,” she said, explaining that she meant to convey that “a number of both current and former FBI agents agreed with the president. James Comey was a disgraced leaker who tried to politicize and undermine the very agency he was supposed to run.”
In the wake of the Mueller report’s release, CNN political analyst April Ryan went so far as to call for Sanders to be fired over her statements about FBI agents.
“Not only does she not have any credibility left, she lied,” Ryan claimed. “She outright lied and the people, the American people, can’t trust her. They can’t trust what’s said from the president’s mouthpiece, spokesperson, from the people’s house.”
“Therefore, she should be let go; she should be fired; end of story,” Ryan stated. “When there is a lack of credibility there, you have to start … lopping the heads off. It’s ‘Fire me Thursday’ or ‘Fire me, Good Friday.’ She needs to go.”
In October 2016, the Daily Caller reported that some FBI agents were frustrated with Comey’s leadership following the Clinton email probe conclusion.
Story cited here.
