The Latest: McCabe lawyer may file defamation suit vs. Trump

FILE - In this June 7, 2017 file photo, then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe appears before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Capitol Hill in Washington. McCabe misled investigators multiple times about his role in a news media disclosure about Hillary Clinton just days before the 2016 presidential election, according to a Justice Department watchdog report. The report alleges that McCabe authorized FBI officials to speak with a Wall Street Journal reporter for a story about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation and then misled FBI and Justice Department officials when later questioned about it. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - In this June 7, 2017 file photo, then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe appears before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Capitol Hill in Washington. McCabe misled investigators multiple times about his role in a news media disclosure about Hillary Clinton just days before the 2016 presidential election, according to a Justice Department watchdog report. The report alleges that McCabe authorized FBI officials to speak with a Wall Street Journal reporter for a story about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation and then misled FBI and Justice Department officials when later questioned about it. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

A lawyer for fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe says he’s considering filing a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his “colleagues.”

Attorney Michael Bromwich sarcastically thanked Trump in a Twitter post Friday for “providing even more material” for a lawsuit he’s considering.

The statement was in response to a Trump tweet that said McCabe had “LIED! LIED! LIED.”

Trump’s tweet followed a harshly critical inspector general report made public Friday. The report alleges that McCabe improperly authorized the release of information to a newspaper reporter and then misled investigators about it.

McCabe was fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions last month, two days before his scheduled retirement.

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3:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump is slamming fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe on Twitter, saying McCabe “LIED! LIED! LIED!”

Trump’s tweet comes after the Justice Department inspector general found that McCabe misled investigators multiple times about his role in a news media disclosure about Hillary Clinton just days before the 2016 presidential election and authorized the release of information to “advance his personal interests.”

Trump tweets: “DOJ just issued the McCabe report - which is a total disaster. He LIED! LIED! LIED!”

Trump claims “McCabe was totally controlled” by former FBI Director James Comey, adding, “McCabe is Comey!!”

The president is linking the report on McCabe to the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, tweeting, “No collusion, all made up by this den of thieves and lowlifes!”

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2:40 p.m.

The Justice Department watchdog says fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe misled investigators over his role in a news media disclosure.

The finding is contained in an inspector general report obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

The inspector general’s finding led FBI disciplinary officials to recommend that the Justice Department fire McCabe. Attorney General Jeff Sessions dismissed him last month two days before his scheduled retirement for what he described as a lack of candor.

McCabe has disputed that assessment, and issued a point-by-point rebuttal on Friday. He says that when he believed his answers to the inspector general were misunderstood, he went back and tried to correct them. His lawyer says the inspector general unfairly tried to conclude its work before McCabe could retire.