Newly declassified memos expose the complex web of decisions and actions taken by former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe during a critical period in early 2017.
According to Just The News, eight previously unreleased memos written by McCabe detail how he maintained the Trump-Russia collusion investigation alive from January to May 2017, culminating in the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
The memos, which span from January 24 to May 21, 2017, reveal McCabe's pivotal role in several key events, including the controversial FBI interview of Michael Flynn, meetings with White House officials, and discussions about wearing a wire to record President Trump. These documents were declassified through efforts by Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel earlier this month.
McCabe orchestrated the January 24 interview with Flynn without informing him it was part of an investigation targeting the Trump campaign. He advised Flynn against having legal representation present, suggesting it would complicate the process unnecessarily. The interview would later become central to Flynn's prosecution.
FBI agent William Barnett, who handled Flynn's case, described the investigation as "Collusion Clue" and argued many investigators were determined to "get Trump." Notes from FBI counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap revealed discussions about whether their goal was to get Flynn to tell the truth or to catch him in a lie.
The Justice Department later criticized the FBI's handling of the Flynn interview, noting that senior DOJ officials were "frustrated" when FBI Director James Comey's justifications for withholding information from the Trump administration kept changing.
During a May 16 meeting, McCabe informed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that the FBI had opened investigations into Trump for possible collusion and obstruction of justice. According to McCabe's memo, Rosenstein suggested wearing a recording device to the White House to gather evidence about Trump's intentions.
McCabe wrote in his memo:
I began by telling him that today I approved the opening of an investigation of President Donald Trump. I explained that the purpose of the investigation was to investigate allegations of possible collusion between the president and the Russian Government, possible obstruction of justice related to the firing of FBI Director James Comey, and possible conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Rosenstein later denied suggesting wearing a wire, stating to the Senate in 2020:
I did not suggest or hint at secretly recording President Trump. I have never in any way suggested that the president should be removed from office under the 25th Amendment.
The declassified documents show how McCabe pushed for the appointment of a special counsel while simultaneously managing internal FBI investigations. He met with Mueller on May 21, 2017, where Rosenstein suggested McCabe should recuse himself from the investigation due to potential conflicts of interest.
McCabe refused to recuse himself and continued to play an active role in the investigation, including signing the June 2017 FISA renewal targeting Carter Page. He was eventually fired in March 2018 after a DOJ Inspector General report concluded he had "lacked candor" during internal investigations.
The release of McCabe's memos provides unprecedented insight into the FBI's handling of the Trump-Russia investigation in early 2017. These documents detail how McCabe's decisions and actions helped maintain the investigation's momentum, leading to Mueller's appointment as special counsel. While McCabe continues to defend the investigation's legitimacy, Durham's 2023 report criticized the FBI's approach, concluding that standard analytical tools and proper witness interviews were not conducted before launching the investigation.
The ongoing debate over these events continues to influence discussions about FBI oversight and political investigations, with McCabe maintaining his stance on CNN as a contributor while facing criticism from Republican senators who question why he was allowed to avoid fully cooperating with Durham's investigation.
