And the hits just keep coming.....
War of the Roses at the FBI
Andrew McCabe and James Comey accuse each other of lying.
Andrew McCabe and James Comey. PHOTO: JAHI CHIKWENDIU/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES; MATT MCCLAIN/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES
By
The Editorial Board
April 19, 2018 7:26 p.m. ET
528 COMMENTS
Donald Trump has made more than a few headlines by accusing FBI officials of lying. But since the Justice Department’s inspector general faulted Andrew McCabe for a “lack of candor” about a press leak he had authorized, former FBI director James Comey and former deputy director Mr. McCabe have been telling different stories.
On Wednesday Mr. Comey backed the IG’s findings on ABC’s “The View,” saying “there are severe consequences in the Justice Department for lying.” Mr. McCabe’s lawyer shot back that he had “documents that prove” that Mr. McCabe “advised Director Comey repeatedly” about his contacts with a reporter that are the basis of the dispute. On Thursday the IG referred its findings on Mr. McCabe for potential prosecution.
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The IG says the circumstantial evidence strongly backs Mr. Comey. Maybe. But an indictment and trial would mean discovery and witnesses appearing under oath. Even if it ended up confirming Mr. Comey’s version of events, a trial might also reveal much more detail about what was going on at the FBI as it handled investigations into Mr. Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016. That would be especially valuable given how hard the bureau has fought disclosing such information to Congress.
When Mr. McCabe was fired last month, he issued a statement claiming to be a victim of Mr. Trump’s “ongoing war on the FBI.” But the IG investigation that judged his “lack of candor” was led by Michael Horowitz, who was appointed by President Obama. And it was launched because Democrats demanded it, blaming Mr. Comey’s late-campaign announcement that the FBI was re-opening the investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s emails for robbing her of the Presidency.
So we are left with a nasty divorce between the two former top FBI officials who both claim to be Boy Scouts. More important than whether anyone goes to jail is whether the American people will ever learn the truth about what the FBI did in 2016 and why.
Appeared in the April 20, 2018, print edition.
War of the Roses at the FBI
Andrew McCabe and James Comey accuse each other of lying.
Andrew McCabe and James Comey. PHOTO: JAHI CHIKWENDIU/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES; MATT MCCLAIN/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES
By
The Editorial Board
April 19, 2018 7:26 p.m. ET
528 COMMENTS
Donald Trump has made more than a few headlines by accusing FBI officials of lying. But since the Justice Department’s inspector general faulted Andrew McCabe for a “lack of candor” about a press leak he had authorized, former FBI director James Comey and former deputy director Mr. McCabe have been telling different stories.
On Wednesday Mr. Comey backed the IG’s findings on ABC’s “The View,” saying “there are severe consequences in the Justice Department for lying.” Mr. McCabe’s lawyer shot back that he had “documents that prove” that Mr. McCabe “advised Director Comey repeatedly” about his contacts with a reporter that are the basis of the dispute. On Thursday the IG referred its findings on Mr. McCabe for potential prosecution.
Foreign Edition Podcast
Pompeo's Pyongyang Trip; Eurozone Economics
00:00 / 18:47
The IG says the circumstantial evidence strongly backs Mr. Comey. Maybe. But an indictment and trial would mean discovery and witnesses appearing under oath. Even if it ended up confirming Mr. Comey’s version of events, a trial might also reveal much more detail about what was going on at the FBI as it handled investigations into Mr. Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016. That would be especially valuable given how hard the bureau has fought disclosing such information to Congress.
When Mr. McCabe was fired last month, he issued a statement claiming to be a victim of Mr. Trump’s “ongoing war on the FBI.” But the IG investigation that judged his “lack of candor” was led by Michael Horowitz, who was appointed by President Obama. And it was launched because Democrats demanded it, blaming Mr. Comey’s late-campaign announcement that the FBI was re-opening the investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s emails for robbing her of the Presidency.
So we are left with a nasty divorce between the two former top FBI officials who both claim to be Boy Scouts. More important than whether anyone goes to jail is whether the American people will ever learn the truth about what the FBI did in 2016 and why.
Appeared in the April 20, 2018, print edition.
