CNN announced Friday that Andrew McCabe, a former top FBI official fired last year amid a dispute with the Trump administration, has been hired as a contributor.
McCabe was fired in March 2018, less than two days before he was set to retire, after the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the Justice Department.
According to CNN, the report from that investigation, which has not been made public, concludes that McCabe “misled investigators about his role in directing other officials at the FBI to speak to The Wall Street Journal about his involvement in a public corruption investigation into the Clinton Foundation.”
At the time, the former FBI deputy director said he was fired as part of an “ongoing war” by President Donald Trump against the special counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Earlier this month, McCabe sued the Justice Department and FBI Director Christopher Wray over his firing, which his suit called “politically motivated and retaliatory.”
As media reporter Yashar Ali pointed out, “McCabe is suing the Justice Department and the FBI. Is CNN going to disclose that fact every time he is on air? I’m assuming they’re hiring him to talk about matters related to criminal justice and not the stock market.”
A rep for CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on-air disclosure plans for McCabe’s appearances.
Word of the hiring also drew criticism in right-leaning media circles. Town Hall contributor Guy Benson wrote on Twitter, “CNN hired an established liar because he hates Trump. The high horse has been put out to pasture.”