President Donald Trump on Friday labeled a report by the Justice Department's inspector general "a total disaster" for fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe — saying three times on Twitter that McCabe "lied" and tying him to his former boss, James Comey, whom Trump also dismissed.
"He LIED! LIED! LIED!" Trump said in his post. "McCabe was totally controlled by Comey."
The inspector general's report found that McCabe authorized FBI officials to talk to a reporter from The Wall Street Journal in October 2016 for a story on differing views within the FBI and Justice Department on how aggressively the Clinton Foundation should be investigated.
The document also found that McCabe was not forthcoming with the agency or Congress about the media leak.
The inspector general's finding led FBI disciplinary officials to recommend that the Justice Department fire McCabe.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions dismissed McCabe last month two days before his scheduled retirement for what he described as a lack of candor.
McCabe, who was to turn 60 on the day of his retirement, has disputed the report, and issued a point-by-point rebuttal on Friday.
He says that when he believed his answers to the inspector general were misunderstood, he went back and tried to correct them.
McCabe's lawyer also said that the inspector general unfairly tried to conclude its work before McCabe could retire.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also likened McCabe to Comey, calling them “two peas in a pod” at Friday’s press briefing with reporters.
“McCabe was fired for disgrace and misconduct — and he lied.”
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