Former FBI Deputy Director (and CNN contributor) Andrew McCabe has long said that he was willing to answer questions under oath about his controversial actions in the Russian investigation. He was scheduled to do so on Tuesday, but he now has refused — citing the infection of three senators with Covid-19. However, McCabe also refuses to testify remotely as did both former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. He simply says that “fairness” dictates that he not testify at all. The basis for his refusal to appear remotely is utterly and almost comically absurd.
It is hard to see the letter as anything other than a mocking refusal not to go under oath. McCabe knows that the Democrats may retake the Senate and the White House. At that point, Democratic senators are expected to shutdown all continuing investigations related to McCabe and misconduct in the Russian investigation. The problem is that recent disclosures have magnified concerns of serious conduct in the Russian investigation and, in the last few months, Comey, Yates, and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said that they would not have signed off on the Page application if they knew then what they know today. Rosenstein called for further investigation into FBI misconduct, including matters that would relate to McCabe. Rosenstein expressly slammed McCabe in his testimony.
McCabe’s lawyer, Michael R. Bromwich McCabe is “willing, able, and eager to testify in person” about the FBI’s Russia investigation “when it is safe to do so.” However, his letter speaks more of evasion than eagerness. He insists that he is “not willing to put his family’s health at risk to do so.” He can of course do so with zero risk, as did his former bosses: remotely.
He recognizes the obvious logical disconnect and merely adds that for “reasons of fairness” McCabe would be unwilling to testify remotely. The Hill reported that Bromwich objected that “[a] fair and appropriate hearing of this kind — which is complex and contentious — simply cannot be conducted other than in person.”
That is facially ridiculous, of course. I have testified over 50 times in Congress over three decades. There is virtually no difference in the testimony because there is virtually no interaction between a witness and the members other than the questions once the hearing starts. Moreover, such interactions can still occur by text with counsel off screen who can pass notes to McCabe, just like a hearing. Indeed, remote hearings are better for witnesses because they can have an entire team giving you messages off-screen in a way that is not possible in a live hearing.
McCabe (who was a controversial addition to the CNN team) has been going on television to deny allegations and attack these hearings, including bizarre interviews spinning his own conduct. He will continue to do so but will refuse to give such answers under oath as he runs out the time for a possible Democratic takeover of the Senate.
McCabe’s position only magnifies concern over his veracity and transparency, two qualities that should be required for a CNN analyst. He has repeatedly used his CNN contract to spin stories that directly impact his legal and professional interests. He is now advancing a position that is absurd on its face but has received little press interest or criticism. He will continue to answer questions remotely at CNN of course — a hermetically sealed safe space for Andrew McCabe.
Who ever thought that McCabe would ever testify? He knows all the parts and all the players. This way he didn’t have to uprade the security system, get the two guard dogs, rewright his will and make arrangements to send his family to a villa in Bolivia. See hes better not testify or he might have to get fitted for them there concrete galoshes. Youes might just catch my drift if you knows whats good for ya.
He is a Karen.
Swamp politics strikes again.
The law is for us peasants, not the government ruling class.
Trump is the biggest swamp creature of them all.
A real idiot you are Anonymous. Trump was a private businessman until he became President. You might say a lot about him but that is not one of them.
I agree that “Anonymouse” is an idiot. (Don’t forget that the “e” is silent.)
🙂
Trump is original intent; a successful business man on a brief hiatus to temporarily serve the nation and the people in the infinitesimal and innocuous government of the republic.
Right, the man whole worth went down by a billion vs. Obama, the Clintons, Gore, Warner and Pelosi, all worth well over 100 million dollars from meager salaries. That makes zero sense my friend.
that must be why the swamp is trying so desperately to get rid of him. Wow, youre a geekneeus.
You think McConnell and his fellow swamp dwellers are trying to get rid of him?!?
That some others would like to get rid of Trump is known but the democrats today are quite upset because Trump is still alive. According to those like Anonymous Covid is the most dangerous thing in the world requiring a lock down of the economy and loss of civil liberty. ~99.5 % of the younger population survive the infection which is probably a better survival than the survival for Influenza. Anonymous isn’t too smart. Add that to his present day hysteria and there is a mess.
No, you are.
Why ?
Evidence ?
The Trump Covid policy: “Don’t mask, don’t tell.”
Anonymous now thinks he is a brainy one. lol
“When you strike at a king, you must kill him.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Great Britain imposed the severe penalty of Drawing and Quartering for challenging the authority of the Sovereign until 1870. McCabe would have paid a dear price for his treason in centuries past. In this kinder gentler world, he would, hypothetically, pay little. In the Biden world, McCabe will pay nothing, but be rewarded for “striking” and “killing” the “king,” after the Biden victory in November. The Deep Deep State should throw a huuuuuge party with food and drink for all Americans after it regains complete and immutable control in November.
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“We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.”
– President Dwight D. Eisenhower, January 17, 1961
So what? Trump goons refuse to testify to congress all the time.
So what?
And in just two words, MollyG proved to the world her opinion on a legal blog is absolutely worthless.
Nicely done!
When was the last time a president testified in congress ?
Has the house even requested that Trump testify ?
I do not beleive they have the constitutional authority to do so.
The partisan Democrats on these boards (starting with Diane / Late4Dinner) have produced enough verbiage defending these crooks to fill a small library.
Duck, bob, weave anything to try and keep from being convicted but it quacks like a duck each time. Dutty Cawp Dutty Cawp.
“The basis for his refusal to appear remotely is utterly and almost comically absurd.”
Yep.
He just doesnt want to have to take the FIFTH because on day he will have to and he WILL.
Mark this and follow up. I give it 6 months max.
Exactly
Prosecute the liar.
Or say under oath that the documents he said were doctored aren’t. Or that whatever changesd might be made they change nothing.
If he can spew his garbage on a tv channel than there is no reason he can’t spew it in testifying.
Does McCabe not shop? Does he get his groceries teleported in from a secret moon base? If he really wants to be a baby, they can clear out the public and transport him in a bubble. Then they can place a baby bib on the desk for him to use. Meanwhile, I’m still going to work in-person.
McCabe is afraid because he heard computers can also get viruses.
McCabe believes he is saving his cojones from the vice. They are slowly being squeezed as more truth comes out.
He’s afraid he’ll get covid in jail.
CNN the chinese news network. thanks emperor xi