House Intel Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) is not a happy man after FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe bailed on his scheduled Tuesday testimony - which has been rescheduled to next Tuesday. Despite the DOJ emailing the committee as late as 7:23 pm Monday night in preparation for McCabe's testimony, the agency blamed a scheduling conflict for the no-show. Nunes told reporters that he was "extremely troubled," and that the scheduling conflict was "not really believable," though he allowed McCabe to reschedule without issuing any subpoenas.
Devin Nunes, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Bruce Ohr
"The security director for the FBI sent over [Monday] night at 7:23 the security clearance for Mr. McCabe," said Nunes, adding, "so it seems like everyone in the building over there ... knew that Mr. McCabe was supposed to be here today. But they're blaming a scheduling snafu ... It would be a high level of incompetence for people that are normally pretty smart."
Nunes warned that McCabe's next no-show would result in subpoenas and a possible contempt charge:
"We have a commitment, again, that McCabe is going to show up next Tuesday [Dec. 19] at 2:00," said Nunes, adding "so we will be following up with letters ... if none of that is followed up with, then we will move forward with contempt and we will issue additional subpoenas." Nunes is also sending investigators to the DOJ Thursday to do a "scrub" of documents the agency has failed to provide.
Fox News reporter Chad Pergram tweets:
Hse Intel Cmte chair Nunes secures deal for Dep FBI Dir McCabe to testify December 19 at 2 pm. Was supposed to be there today. DoJ blames a scheduling conflict. Nunes says he's "extremely troubled" & the excuse "is not really believable." No subpoenas for McCabe..yet
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 12, 2017
Intel Cmte Chair Nunes says DoJ security sent an email to Hse Intel Cmte as late as 7:23 pm et Monday night in preparation for McCabe's appearance before Intel Cmte today. Nunes: "Everyone in the building knew that McCabe was supposed to be here"
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 12, 2017
Intel Cmte chair Nunes says Hse Intel Cmte will send investigators to DoJ Thursday to do a “scrub” of documents they have pursued since winter. Nunes says if McCabe doesn't appear next Tuesd, he will move to subpoena him..or potentially hold McCabe in contempt of Congress.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 12, 2017
Intel Cmte chair Nunes on if he's confident McCabe will come to CapHill next Tuesday for hrng: "We've had many deals."
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 12, 2017
McCabe was expected to answer questions Tuesday about the role of FBI investigator Peter Strzok in the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Strzok was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team after it was learned that he had exchanged anti-Trump text messages with a fellow FBI investigator with whom Strzok was having an extramarital affair. Strzok is considered a key figure in the series of events concerning the 'Trump-Russia' dossier, which the FBI relied on to launch a counterintelligence investigation into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
"Something more sinister"
Congressional sources tell Fox they believe FBI DepDir McCabe not coming to Hse Intel Cmte tomorrow because he’d be asked about Bruce Ohr & Ohr’s wife Nellie who worked for Fusion GPS. something far more sinister.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 12, 2017
As we reported yesterday, many believe McCabe's cancellation had to do with a Monday night report by Fox News revealing that recently demoted DOJ official Bruce Ohr's wife, Nellie, worked for Fusion GPS - the firm behind the Trump-Russia dossier. It was also later uncovered by internet sleuths that Nellie Ohr represented the CIA's "Open Source Works" group at a 2010 working group on organized crime, which she participated in along with her husband Bruce and Glenn Simpson, co-founder of Fusion GPS.
FBI’s McCabe was expected to appear before Hse to Intel Cmte Tues. Now told he’s not coming. Expect subpoenas to compel McCabe to appear this wk. Source: “McCabe has an Ohr problem”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 12, 2017
House investigators also determined that Bruce Ohr met with former MI6 spy Christopher Steele, and shortly after the 2016 election met with Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of Fusion GPS who commissioned Steele to create the dossier.
Perhaps adding to McCabe's decision not to testify Tuesday was a disturbing report by The Hill last week that Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) interviewed a retired FBI supervisor who said McCabe instructed him not to call the 2012 Benghazi attack an act of terrorism while distributing the FBI's findings to the larger intelligence community - despite knowing it was terrorism.
The agent found the instruction concerning because his unit had gathered incontrovertible evidence showing a major al Qaeda figure had directed the attack and the information had already been briefed to President Obama, the lawmaker said. -The Hill
DeSantis posed to The Hill: "What operational reason would there be to issue an edict to agents telling them, in the face of virtually conclusive evidence to the contrary, not to categorize the Benghazi attack as a result of terrorism? By placing the interests of the Obama administration over the public's interests, the order is yet another data point highlighting the politicization of the FBI."
Clearly the House Intel Committee has a lot of questions for Deputy Director McCabe, which, if necessary, Devin Nunes will compel via subpoenas as early as next Tuesday.