Attorney General Jeff Sessions stood by the Justice Department’s controversial firings of Andrew McCabe and James Comey while suggesting more firings could be forthcoming, depending on the contents of an new inspector general’s report that will be released Thursday.
“I think it was the right thing to do,” Mr. Sessions said on The Hill’s “Rising” of Mr. Comey’s firing. “The facts were pretty clear on it. He made a big mistake, and he testified only a few weeks before that termination that he would do it again if given the opportunity.”
He defended Rod Rosenstein, saying that the decision to fire the former FBI director ultimately fell on him as head of the Justice Department.
Mr. Sessions said that allowing Mr. Comey to continue at the FBI would have been “a serious breach of discipline.”
The attorney general also said firing Andrew McCabe was “the right thing to do.”
Mr. Sessions said he expects the IG report on the FBI’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s email investigation will reassure Americans that “some of the concerns that have been raised are not true.”
He confirmed that anyone exposed of wrongdoing in the IG report will be fired if their actions justified termination.
Mr. Sessions also defended the FBI as an institution.
“The men and women of the FBI are fabulous patriots,” he said. “They serve their country every day. They are highly talented and well-trained.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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