Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI, said a bipartisan group of lawmakers was briefed on a counterintelligence investigation into President Trump and not one of them objected.
McCabe and other FBI officials informed the so-called “Gang of Eight” — leaders from both parties in the House and Senate, as well as the chairs and co-chairs of the House and Senate intelligence committees — that the bureau had opened a counterintelligence investigation into Trump after he fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017.
“No one objected, not on legal grounds, not on constitutional grounds, and not based on the facts,” McCabe told NBC’s “Today” show Tuesday.
McCabe said earlier this week the FBI had reasonable cause to open a counterintelligence investigation into Trump’s relationship with Russia after Comey’s firing. McCabe also revealed he was the official who ordered an obstruction of justice probe into the president.
“And the idea is, if the president committed obstruction of justice, fired the director of the FBI to negatively impact or to shut down our investigation of Russia’s malign activity and possibly in support of his campaign, as a counterintelligence investigator, you have to ask yourself, ‘Why would a president of the United States do that?'” McCabe said on CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”
“So all those same sorts of facts cause us to wonder if there is an inappropriate relationship, a connection between this president and our most fearsome enemy, the government of Russia?” he added.
McCabe and Trump have been in a war of words as the former FBI official, who was fired hours before he was set to retired, is promoting his book The Threat.
The president has accused McCabe of trying to plot a coup to oust him from the White House. McCabe, in response, said it’s been “horrific” having to “endure the threats, the taunts, the bullying” of Trump in public.
[Read more: Trump tweets bathroom-themed swipe at Andrew McCabe, ‘Leakin’ James Comey]
