Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI embroiled in the Russia collusion hoax of the 2016 election, was slated to testify before Congress this week as part of the ongoing investigation into the origins of the FBI probe.
He is now refusing to do so based on the threat of Coronavirus. Yet he won’t even testify remotely.
This is absurd.
Professor Jonathan Turley writes:
McCabe: I Will Not Testify Out of Fear For My Health … Even RemotelyFormer 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.”
McCabe’s attorney suggested that testifying remotely just wouldn’t be fair.
Tal Axelrod reports at The Hill:
“Mr. McCabe is willing, able, and eager to testify in person about Crossfire Hurricane at any time in the future when it is safe to do so. But he is not willing to put his family’s health at risk to do so,” he continued. “For these reasons, we are unwilling to appear in person for the October 6 hearing; and for reasons of fairness, we are unwilling to testify remotely. A fair and appropriate hearing of this kind — which is complex and contentious — simply cannot be conducted other than in person.”
Professor Turley notes that McCabe has no problem making remote appearances on CNN, and that this looks like McCabe trying to run out the clock on a possible change in Senate control:
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.
This is an excellent reminder of how much is at stake in the election. If Trump and Senate Republicans lose in November, this investigation will be thrown into the dustbin of history.
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