Russia probe receives memos from Andrew McCabe on Trump interactions
Personal memos kept by sacked former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe detailing his interactions with President Donald Trump have been provided to special counsel Robert Mueller's office, it has been revealed.
The notes are believed to be similar to those compiled by dismissed FBI chief James Comey.
The memos could factor into Mr Mueller's investigation as his team examines Trump campaign ties to Russia and possible obstruction of justice.
Mr McCabe was long scorned by Mr Trump and was fired by Attorney-General Jeff Sessions on Friday (local time).His memos include details of his own interactions with the President, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation who wasn't authorised to discuss the notes publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
They also recount different conversations he had with Mr Comey, who kept notes on meetings with Mr Trump that unnerved him.
Though the precise contents are unknown, the memos possibly could help substantiate Mr McCabe's assertion that he was unfairly maligned by a White House he says had declared "war" on the FBI and Mr Mueller's investigation.
They almost certainly contain, as Mr Comey's memos did, previously undisclosed details about encounters between the Trump administration and the FBI that could be of interest to Mr Mueller.
The disclosure on Saturday came hours after Mr Trump called Mr McCabe's firing by Mr Sessions "a great day for Democracy" and asserted without elaboration that Mr McCabe knew "all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!"
In the past year, Mr Trump has repeatedly condemned Mr McCabe as emblematic of an FBI that he insists is biased against his administration.
That sent former CIA director John Brennan, an outspoken Trump critic, into a Twitter tizzy: "When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America … America will triumph over you."
Mr Sessions said he acted on the recommendation of FBI disciplinary officials who said Mr McCabe had not been candid with a watchdog office investigation.
Mr McCabe was
fired two days before his retirement date on Sunday.
The dismissal likely jeopardises his ability to collect his full pension benefits and, more broadly, could add to the turmoil that has enveloped the FBI since Mr Comey's firing and as the bureau moves ahead with an investigation the White House has dismissed as a hoax.
An upcoming inspector general's report is expected to conclude that Mr McCabe, who spent more than 20 years with the FBI, had authorised the release of information to the media and was not forthcoming with the watchdog office as it examined the bureau's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
Mr McCabe has vigorously disputed the allegations and said his credibility had been attacked as "part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally" but also the FBI and law enforcement.
"Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the special counsel's work."
Twitter war erupts
The firing set off duelling tweets between Mr Trump, who called the termination a "great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI," and Mr Comey, the director he fired 10 months ago.
Mr Trump called Mr Comey "sanctimonious" and said Mr Comey made Mr McCabe "look like a choirboy".
Mr Comey, referencing his highly anticipated book that comes out next month, responded with his own tweet: "Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not."
Also Saturday, Mr Trump's personal lawyer, John Dowd, cited the "brilliant and courageous example" set by Mr Sessions and the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility and said Deputy Attorney-General Rod Rosenstein should "bring an end" to the Russia investigation "manufactured" by Mr Comey.
Mr Dowd said he was not calling on Mr Rosenstein, who oversees Mr Mueller's inquiry, to fire the special counsel immediately
He also said he had not discussed with Mr Rosenstein the idea of dismissing Mr Mueller or ending the probe.
Mr Mueller is investigating whether Trump's actions, including Mr Comey's ouster, constitute obstruction of justice.
Mr McCabe could be an important witness, and his memos could be used by investigators as they look into whether Mr Trump sought to thwart the FBI probe.
Mr Comey's own memos, including one in which he says Mr Trump encouraged him to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, have been provided to Mr Mueller and are part of his investigation.
Mr McCabe, in a statement defending himself, asserted he was singled out by the administration because of the "role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath" of Mr Comey's firing last May.
He became acting director after that but clashed with the Trump administration, including when he publicly rejected White House assertions that Mr Comey had lost the support of the rank-and-file. He abruptly left the deputy director position in January and went on leave.
The firing arises from an inspector general review into how the FBI handled the Clinton email investigation. That inquiry focused not only on specific decisions made by FBI leadership but also on news media leaks.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-18/andrew-mccabe-kept-memos-on-donald-trump/9560248
Mr Sessions said he acted on the recommendation of FBI disciplinary officials who said Mr McCabe had not been candid with a watchdog office investigation.Mr McCabe was
fired two days before his retirement date on Sunday.
