Former FBI official Andrew McCabe joins CNN as a contributor
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Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe will join CNN as a contributor starting Friday — a move that quickly sparked conservative criticism, CNBC reports.
Background: President Trump publicly sparred with McCabe over his relationship with former FBI director James Comey. McCabe was fired in March 2018 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions for allegedly sharing details about the Russia investigation with the media and subsequently lying to investigators about it, says the Washington Post.
- Along with the CNN announcement, McCabe is fighting his firing in court, alleging that his termination was part of Trump's plan to eliminate government employees who “were not politically loyal to him.” McCabe worked for the FBI for more than 2 decades.
What they're saying: Some conservative critics are now claiming CNN hired McCabe because the network dislikes Trump. The president has repeatedly disparaged the CNN as "fake news."
"Andrew McCabe was fired by the FBI for leaking to the media and lying to the FBI about it. I guess crime does pay."— Matt Wolking, deputy director of communications for Trump's 2020 campaign, tweeted
The big picture: McCabe is one of many former officials making the move to broadcast media. CNN hired another former DOJ official, Sarah Isgur Flores, this February.
- Meanwhile, Fox News announced on Thursday that former White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders would be coming on as a network contributor. The news drew similar reactions from the left, reflecting "perceptions of polarization and the alleged biases of the cable news networks," per the Washington Post.
Go deeper: Midterm losers and retired politicians sign on as political pundits
