An internal FBI report that was cited in the decision to fire Deputy Director Andrew McCabe includes testimony from his former boss James Comey that is at odds with public statements McCabe has made about his firing, CNN reported Friday.
McCabe has maintained that he had authority to allow FBI officials to share information with The Wall Street Journal for a story in October 2016 regarding the Clinton Foundation, but his statements are reportedly at odds with testimony Comey gave that was included in the Office of Professional Responsibility report before McCabe’s ouster.
Since his firing, McCabe has claimed the disclosure was by the book and that his move to share the information was “not a secret” from Comey and other higher-ups at the bureau, saying it was within his authority as the No. 2 FBI official to share the info.
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But Comey told the Justice Department’s inspector general that he did not remember McCabe mentioning that he authorized officials to share details of the bureau’s probe into the Clinton Foundation with the press, sources told CNN.
One source said the apparent discrepancy between McCabe’s post-firing statements and the report, which is currently only available to members of Congress, is likely the result of a miscommunication between McCabe and Comey, and nothing more.
A lawyer representing McCabe told CNN that his client’s recollection of the events were much clearer than Comey’s, and that he had emails showing that McCabe made Comey aware of his ongoing interactions with the reporter.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a congressman who viewed the report and called for McCabe’s firing, said the document cites four instances of McCabe lying about his interactions with the press: once to Comey, once to FBI investigators and twice to the Office of the Inspector General.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited what he said were unauthorized disclosures in his statement on firing McCabe, and said the former deputy director displayed a “lack of candor” on multiple occasions, including under oath.