NY Times: Ex-FBI official McCabe gives memo on Comey firing to Mueller
Newly reported memo says Trump asked Rosenstein to reference Russia in Comey's firing.
Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.(photo credit: REUTERS)ByREUTERSFormer Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe wrote a confidential memo last spring recounting a conversation that provided "significant behind-the-scenes" details on the firing of former FBI director James Comey, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.The Times reported that McCabe had turned in his memo to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether Moscow colluded with President Donald Trump's campaign to meddle in the 2016 US election. Comey's firing is one part of Mueller's inquiries into whether Trump tried to obstruct the investigation.McCabe and the Justice Department declined to comment to the Times.The Times reported, citing several people familiar with the discussion, that in the document McCabe described a conversation at the Justice Department with Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein after Comey was abruptly fired. Rosenstein had played a main role in Comey's May 2017 dismissal, writing a memo in which he rebuked Comey over his handling of an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the election campaign.But in the meeting at the Justice Department Rosenstein added a new detail: that Trump had originally asked him to reference Russia in his memo, the Times reported, citing the sources familiar. Rosenstein did not elaborate on what Trump had wanted him to say, according to the newspaper.Trump's lawyers have cited Rosenstein's involvement in Comey's firing as proof that there was no effort to obstruct justice, the Times reported.The Times reported that Trump wanted Rosenstein to mention that he was not personally under investigation in the Russia probe, but Rosenstein did not include the reference. Until his dismissal, Comey had been leading an investigation into the Trump campaign's possible collusion with Russia.The Kremlin has denied meddling in the election and Trump has denied that there was any collusion between his campaign and Moscow officials.See more onRod Rosenstein|James ComeyRECOMMENDED STORIESIsrael targets Fordow nuclear site, Quds Force chief Qaani reportedly killed in strikeJUNE 12, 2025Israel trying to persuade US to join in continuing strikes on Iran, sources tell 'Post'JUNE 13, 2025Vacation ruse, phantom trip, hostage decoy: How Israel misled Tehran before Iran strikeJUNE 13, 2025Mossad leads series of secret attack operations in heart of IranJUNE 13, 2025