The Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed a scheduled hearing with former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe on Tuesday after McCabe expressed concerns about the coronavirus, according to a spokesperson for committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham.
McCabe was set to testify on “Crossfire Hurricane,” the FBI’s investigation into President Donald Trump’s potential campaign ties to Russia.
The postponement follows a letter from McCabe’s attorney, Michael Bromwich, to Graham stating that McCabe would not testify after two members of the panel – GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina – tested positive for Covid-19.
“Mr. McCabe is willing, able, and eager to testify in person about Crossfire Hurricane at any time in the future when it is safe to do so. But he is not willing to put his family’s health at risk to do so,” the letter said.
“For these reasons, we are unwilling to appear in person for the October 6 hearing; and for reasons of fairness, we are unwilling to testify remotely. A fair and appropriate hearing of this kind – which is complex and contentious – simply cannot be conducted other than in person.”
McCabe, who is now a CNN contributor, was fired in March 2018 following repeated taunts from Trump and accusations that he had misled internal investigators at the Justice Department.
He called his firing “part of this Administration’s ongoing war on the FBI” in a blistering statement at the time.
Graham’s panel is one of two GOP-led Senate committees investigating the FBI’s Russia probe. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson is leading his own investigation. The Wisconsin Republican also announced last week that he had tested positive for coronavirus.
CNN’s Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.