CNN Hires Fired FBI Official Andrew McCabe as Contributor
McCabe was fired in 2018 after the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the Justice Department
Lindsey Ellefson | August 23, 2019 @ 9:29 AM
Last Updated: August 29, 2019 @ 5:15 PM
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CNN announced Friday that Andrew McCabe, a former top FBI official fired last year amid a dispute with the Trump administration, has been hired as a contributor.
McCabe was fired in March 2018, less than two days before he was set to retire, after the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the Justice Department.
According to CNN, the report from that investigation, which has not been made public, concludes that McCabe “misled investigators about his role in directing other officials at the FBI to speak to The Wall Street Journal about his involvement in a public corruption investigation into the Clinton Foundation.”
At the time, the former FBI deputy director said he was fired as part of an “ongoing war” by President Donald Trump against the special counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Earlier this month, McCabe sued the Justice Department and FBI Director Christopher Wray over his firing, which his suit called “politically motivated and retaliatory.”
As media reporter Yashar Ali pointed out, “McCabe is suing the Justice Department and the FBI. Is CNN going to disclose that fact every time he is on air? I’m assuming they’re hiring him to talk about matters related to criminal justice and not the stock market.”
A rep for CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on-air disclosure plans for McCabe’s appearances.
Word of the hiring also drew criticism in right-leaning media circles. Town Hall contributor Guy Benson wrote on Twitter, “CNN hired an established liar because he hates Trump. The high horse has been put out to pasture.”
James Comey Timeline: Events That Led to FBI Director's Firing (Photos)
For the first time since 1993, a U.S. president has fired a director of the FBI. Comey's final year as head of the Bureau before his dismissal Tuesday was wrought with controversy, as Democrats and Republicans alike criticized him for his handling of the FBI's investigations into Hillary Clinton's emails and possible connections between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia. Here's how we got to this point:
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July 2013: Disgraced former NY Congressman Anthony Weiner sees his campaign for New York mayor derailed when screenshots of explicit conversations between him and several women are leaked. His wife, Huma Abedin, who was deputy chief of staff to Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State, stands by him.
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September 2013: President Barack Obama appoints James Comey as FBI Director. Comey served as U.S. Deputy Attorney General from 2003-2005 and had worked in the intervening years at Lockheed Martin and HSBC, among other private sector jobs.
April 2015: Hillary Clinton announces her campaign for the president just weeks after The New York Times reported that she used a personal email server as Secretary of State. Abedin is named vice-chairwoman of her campaign.
July 2016: After investigating Clinton's emails, Comey announces that the FBI does not recommend charging Clinton in connection to the personal server. Two days later, Comey is questioned by a Republican-led House Committee about his recommendation.
August 2016: Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin announce their separation after reports surface that Weiner had sent explicit text messages to another woman.
September 2016: Reports surface that Weiner had sent illicit text messages to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina, prompting a federal investigation. During the investigation, authorities seize a laptop belonging to Weiner and Abedin.
Oct. 28, 2016: Comey sends a letter to Congress informing members that Abedin's laptop may contain emails linked to the Clinton investigation. Clinton calls on the FBI to release all the information they have.
Nov. 6, 2016: Comey writes another letter saying that nothing new was found on Abedin's laptop, with Newsweek reporting that most of the emails found were ones forwarded by Abedin so she could print them. Two days after Comey sends the second letter, Hillary Clinton loses the presidential election to Donald Trump.
March 2017: Comey reveals during a House Intelligence Committee hearing that the FBI is performing an investigation into possible connections between the Kremlin and members of Trump's campaign.
May 3, 2017: Comey testifies in Congress again, this time before a Senate Committee about the details of the FBI's investigation into Clinton's email server. He says that Abedin had forwarded "forwarded hundreds and thousands of emails, some of which contain classified information" to Weiner to print out of convenience.
May 9, 2017: ProPublica and the Associated Press report that Comey had exaggerated the number of emails found in the laptop and that none of the emails were classified when sent. Later that day, Comey is fired from his position by Donald Trump.
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Comey’s four-year tenure as FBI director ends 10 months after recommending Hillary Clinton not be charged for his email investigation
For the first time since 1993, a U.S. president has fired a director of the FBI. Comey's final year as head of the Bureau before his dismissal Tuesday was wrought with controversy, as Democrats and Republicans alike criticized him for his handling of the FBI's investigations into Hillary Clinton's emails and possible connections between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia. Here's how we got to this point:
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Getty Images
