Acting FBI director Andrew McCabe said Thursday that the bureau is continuing its work despite the sudden firing of James Comey, and that there have been no attempts yet to hinder the agency’s efforts.
“The work of the men and women of the FBI continues despite changes in circumstance, any decisions,” McCabe told lawmakers at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats. “There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date.”
Florida senator Marco Rubio had asked McCabe whether Comey’s termination Tuesday “in any way impeded, interrupted, stopped, or negatively impacted” the FBI’s work. That includes an ongoing probe into any potential links between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
“Quite simply put, sir,” McCabe continued, “you cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing, protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.”
McCabe later described the Russia probe as “highly significant.”
President Trump fired Comey on Tuesday, citing a letter from deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein that criticized Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. The timing of Comey’s firing has drawn criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Trump’s letter to Comey stated that the director had informed him “on three separate occasions that I am not under investigation.” Asked by committee chairman Richard Burr whether he knew of any such occasions, McCabe said he could not comment.
Virginia senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the committee, suggested in his opening statement that Comey’s firing was linked to the his agency’s Russia probe.
“Comey was leading an active counterintelligence investigation into any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government or its representatives,” he said. “For many people, including myself, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the president’s decision to remove Director Comey was related to this investigation.”
Warner proceeded to ask McCabe later whether he was committed to informing the committee of any attempts to interfere in the Russia probe.
“I absolutely do,” McCabe said.
