Andrew McCabe: Mueller Probe Not ‘Unwarranted’ Despite Mueller Finding No Collusion

INTERVIEWER Does that mean ░░░░░░░░ your concerns were overdrawn ░░░░░░░░ or put another way ░░░░░░░░ Muller satisfied you that ░░░░░░░░ what you were worried ░░░░░░░░ did not happen MCCABE ░░░░░░░░ there s a couple ░░░░░░░░ to unpack there It ░░░░░░░░ kind of an oversimplification ░░░░░░░░ I guess So am ░░░░░░░░ satisfied I expect to ░░░░░░░░ satisfied when I get ░░░░░░░░ see the report And ░░░░░░░░ should hope that all ░░░░░░░░ think about it that ░░░░░░░░ So I think it ░░░░░░░░ really important to remember ░░░░░░░░ we don t know ░░░░░░░░ We understand how Attorney ░░░░░░░░ Barr has characterized what ░░░░░░░░ in that four hundred ░░░░░░░░ report but it will ░░░░░░░░ you know to understand ░░░░░░░░ draw your own conclusions ░░░░░░░░ it I think you ░░░░░░░░ to do that only ░░░░░░░░ you see the report ░░░░░░░░ fact if you split ░░░░░░░░ two things out the ░░░░░░░░ that director Muller has ░░░░░░░░ concluded that he found ░░░░░░░░ evidence of collusion so ░░░░░░░░ didn t find enough ░░░░░░░░ to indicate the existence ░░░░░░░░ a conspiracy at the ░░░░░░░░ that you would need ░░░░░░░░ bring some sort of ░░░░░░░░ guess a federal charge ░░░░░░░░ that mean we shouldn ░░░░░░░░ have investigated it Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ We don t start ░░░░░░░░ driving at a conclusion ░░░░░░░░ don t consider investigations ░░░░░░░░ have been a waste ░░░░░░░░ time or unwarranted simply ░░░░░░░░ they ended up in ░░░░░░░░ place where you didn ░░░░░░░░ expect them to end ░░░░░░░░ You start investigations because ░░░░░░░░ have an obligation to ░░░░░░░░ your job and our ░░░░░░░░ at that moment when ░░░░░░░░ had that articulable suspicion ░░░░░░░░ to conduct the investigation ░░░░░░░░ ensure that we and ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department and maybe ░░░░░░░░ some circumstances the world ░░░░░░░░ know if in fact ░░░░░░░░ threat existed And it ░░░░░░░░ just as valuable to ░░░░░░░░ able to say no ░░░░░░░░ didn t INTERVIEWER Let ░░░░░░░░ just ask when we ░░░░░░░░ about the Comey report ░░░░░░░░ the campaign about the ░░░░░░░░ you said in hindsight ░░░░░░░░ was not a good ░░░░░░░░ to have so much ░░░░░░░░ the internal dirty bits ░░░░░░░░ know aired dirty laundry ░░░░░░░░ because of the way ░░░░░░░░ contributed to toxic atmosphere ░░░░░░░░ that same logic not ░░░░░░░░ now We don t ░░░░░░░░ to see the contents ░░░░░░░░ the report if we ░░░░░░░░ satisfied that the executive ░░░░░░░░ says there was no ░░░░░░░░ then we don t ░░░░░░░░ to see the underlying ░░░░░░░░ MCCABE Well to be ░░░░░░░░ my hindsight concerns about ░░░░░░░░ decisions in July over ░░░░░░░░ Clinton e mail case ░░░░░░░░ one the Bureau should ░░░░░░░░ probably stayed in its ░░░░░░░░ role and allowed the ░░░░░░░░ of Justice to announce ░░░░░░░░ result and allow the ░░░░░░░░ of Justice announce the ░░░░░░░░ and allow the Department ░░░░░░░░ Justice to determine how ░░░░░░░░ or how much how ░░░░░░░░ of those details and ░░░░░░░░ of dirty bits they ░░░░░░░░ going to expose in ░░░░░░░░ course of announcing the ░░░░░░░░ I think announcing the ░░░░░░░░ and announcing why we ░░░░░░░░ drawn the conclusion we ░░░░░░░░ would have been essential ░░░░░░░░ think it probably just ░░░░░░░░ have been better for ░░░░░░░░ FBI if the Department ░░░░░░░░ done it Would it ░░░░░░░░ been accepted any better ░░░░░░░░ DOJ had done it ░░░░░░░░ don t think so ░░░░░░░░ just would have avoided ░░░░░░░░ all that pain on ░░░░░░░░ Bureau And let s ░░░░░░░░ honest my job was ░░░░░░░░ run and protect the ░░░░░░░░ But now we re ░░░░░░░░ a very similar situation ░░░░░░░░ re struggling with that ░░░░░░░░ idea like how much ░░░░░░░░ the detail do you ░░░░░░░░ about people who are ░░░░░░░░ being charged You know ░░░░░░░░ m glad I m ░░░░░░░░ the Attorney General I ░░░░░░░░ t have to decide ░░░░░░░░ I do think that ░░░░░░░░ is a compelling public ░░░░░░░░ in understanding what the ░░░░░░░░ Counsel team found in ░░░░░░░░ direction or the other ░░░░░░░░ how much of the ░░░░░░░░ of people s identities ░░░░░░░░ things like that you ░░░░░░░░ that s a sensitivity ░░░░░░░░ I think DOJ is ░░░░░░░░ positioned to figure out ░░░░░░░░ to be you know ░░░░░░░░ know we re kind ░░░░░░░░ flipping back and forth ░░░░░░░░ but the issue on ░░░░░░░░ is very different So ░░░░░░░░ case we opened on ░░░░░░░░ President was predicated both ░░░░░░░░ the possibility of a ░░░░░░░░ security threat and the ░░░░░░░░ that a federal crime ░░░░░░░░ of justice have taken ░░░░░░░░ And as I have ░░░░░░░░ from the reporting and ░░░░░░░░ the Attorney General s ░░░░░░░░ director Muller has not ░░░░░░░░ a conclusion on that ░░░░░░░░ presented substantial evidence around ░░░░░░░░ issue I think that ░░░░░░░░ important for the American ░░░░░░░░ to know and to ░░░░░░░░ as they everybody makes ░░░░░░░░ own evaluations about how ░░░░░░░░ think the President is ░░░░░░░░ That s what we ░░░░░░░░ to do here in ░░░░░░░░ democracy and I think ░░░░░░░░ s relevant important information ░░░░░░░░ not just any citizen ░░░░░░░░ the President of the ░░░░░░░░ States I think the ░░░░░░░░ are aligning in the ░░░░░░░░ of compelling public interest.”