Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stated on Sunday that federal authorities had not reached out to him regarding former FBI director James Comey’s investigation.
In a discussion with CNN host Jake Tupper about the “Confederation Status,” McCabe expressed disbelief that the FBI had not sought his input, given his previous explanations surrounding the events leading up to the 2016 election.
“No, not at all, Jake. I haven’t been contacted or interviewed, nor did I request an interview,” McCabe remarked. When probed about whether the FBI had made any attempts to contact him regarding Comey’s investigation, he reiterated, “On this investigation by James Comey.”
“If interactions with Jim Comey from nine years ago are foundational to this prosecution, it’s baffling that prosecutors would not be interested in my perspective,” he added.
Recently, federal court charges were filed against Comey for allegedly making false statements to thwart Congressional lawsuits related to testimony given in 2020 in the Senate.
These federal allegations stem from a September 30, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) questioned conflicting narratives from Comey and McCabe regarding a leak of information from The Wall Street Journal just days before the 2016 election.
McCabe claimed that Comey was aware of the leak and approved it, while Comey stated that he was unaware of it when the story was published and suggested that McCabe wasn’t either.
An Inspector General Report from 2018 indicated that McCabe had not been forthright when he approved the leak, misleading both his superiors and investigators about his involvement.
“What Mr. McCabe is saying and your testimony to this committee can’t both be true. One of you must be misrepresenting,” Cruz challenged.
Comey responded, “I can only speak for my own testimony, which I stand by.”
The charging document alleges that Comey authorized an unnamed individual to leak details of the FBI’s investigation. Reports from outlets confirmed that Daniel Richman, a Columbia Law School professor, had leaked a note from Comey detailing the director’s discussions with Trump.
The indictment further claims another FBI staff member lied about being the source of news reports related to the investigations into Trump and Clinton.
“Jake, I can’t say that Jim Comey permitted him to leak information. I did not witness that during my time with Comey,” McCabe noted.
“I cannot evaluate his testimony definitively—I don’t think it’s that straightforward for claims of false statements or perjury. I can only share what I personally experienced.”
