Matt Whitaker, a former acting attorney general in the Trump administration, told Newsmax on Tuesday that the decision by Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok of the FBI to launch an investigation into allegations of Russia's ties to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign is among the "most outrageous moments in American history."
The Durham Report released on Monday highlighted that in 2016, McCabe, the FBI's deputy director, and Strzok, the agency's deputy assistant director for counterintelligence, began the probe — dubbed "Crossfire Hurricane" — without "ever having spoken to the persons who provided the information." The report also showed that they did so without following FBI protocol, such as a significant review of its own intelligence databases and collection and examination of any relevant intelligence from other U.S. entities.
"I think this report outlines one of the most outrageous moments in American history," Whitaker told "American Agenda," "and that moment is when Andy McCabe and Peter Strzok, with hearsay on hearsay, without investigating or inquiring as to the veracity of [the allegations], decided to open up a full-blown investigation.
"That led to the president of the United States, Donald Trump, being a target in that investigation, the appointment of special counsel [Robert] Mueller, and really one of the most disruptive times in our nation's history. I know that because I was there. ... In fact, for a time I supervised the Mueller investigation, and it turns out that none of it was true. None of it was necessary and I just I think it's incredibly disappointing of what transpired and how we got to this point."
Whitaker complimented special counsel John Durham for the thoroughness of his report. He said what the American people now want to see is if anyone will be held accountable.
"I think a lot of Americans, and a lot of your viewers, want some people held accountable," Whitaker said. "But right now, we live in an upside-down world, where the folks that perpetrated this hoax have book deals, have contributorships, are hired by companies. And I think that's just a shame."
Whitaker said there still are a lot of good men and women who work at the Department of Justice and the FBI.
"Unfortunately, there were some bad apples that displayed poor judgment, bad ethics, and unsound reasoning and decision-making, and that's what led to this," he said. "You had people like Andy McCabe, Peter Strzok, [former FBI Director] James Comey, and several others up and down the line, especially at the FBI.
"Now they're all gone, and the FBI has implemented some reforms and changes as to how these types of investigations are handled. But you know, at the end of the day, it happened. You can't unring the bell, and the people involved should be completely ashamed of what this report finally reveals."
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