Top FBI official in L.A. formally recuses himself from investigation into Tom Girardi and his law firm of six-figure legal representation
A top FBI official in Los Angeles has recused himself from the investigation into former City Attorney Tom Girardi and his firm of six-figure legal representation.
Los Angeles City Attorney Michael G. Abele recused himself after he was hired by Girardi to represent him in the probe into former attorney general Kamala Harris, the FBI said in a statement Wednesday.
Girardi had been hired by Harris’ former aide, Chris Daly, to investigate the California attorney general for potential ethical violations.
Abele has been a partner at the firm of Sidley Austin since 2009 and a top official at the FBI since 2005, according to the Washington Post.
Abele’s decision to recuse himself from working on the Girardi investigation “has no impact on the integrity or objectivity of the FBI,” FBI chief Andrew McCabe said in a statement Wednesday.
“As the public learns more about the investigation into former attorney general Kamala Harris, the FBI is committed to its complete transparency,” McCabe said. “The FBI looks forward to presenting this important and ongoing matter to the public and Congress.”
Abele declined to disclose details of the FBI investigation, saying he was not authorized to discuss it.
“You have to look at the process they followed,” Abele told Fox News. “We were advised to have a recusal and we made the decision after several conversations. The decision to recuse ourselves came after we had our discussion with the Department of Justice.”
Abele’s decision to recuse himself “affects my ability to be available to investigate this matter,” he said.
Girardi, who resigned from Harris’ staff last week, is represented by the California Public Interest Research Group.
President Trump is scheduled to speak on Thursday at a rally at an Orange County, California, hotel owned by businessman Tom Price, who has donated $2 million to anti-abortion groups. Trump promised to stop the “sanctuary cities” — places where officials refuse to honor federal immigration detainers, allowing detained illegal immigrants to be released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Price donated $35,000 to the Trump campaign last year, the Associated Press reported last week, while the president promised