White House: ‘Still cause for concern’ about FBI despite Gowdy claims

President Trump’s mind hasn’t been changed by a top Republican’s assessment the FBI acted appropriately in using a confidential source in the Russia probe, the White House said Wednesday.  

“Clearly, there’s still cause for concern that still needs to be looked at,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. 

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Sanders was responding to Rep. Trey Gowdy’s (R-S.C.) comments that “the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do” by having a confidential source speak with Trump campaign associates who were suspected of having contacts with Russians during the 2016 election.  

His statements rebutted the president’s unsubstantiated claim that the Obama administration embedded a spy in the Trump campaign in order to boost Democrats.

Gowdy spoke after receiving a briefing from top Justice Department and intelligence officials about the matter. 

In order to justify Trump’s belief the FBI acted improperly, Sanders cited the dismissal of the bureau’s deputy director, Andrew McCabe. 

McCabe was forced out of the agency in part over a watchdog report blaming him for a media leak about the Hillary Clinton email probe, and not the Russia investigation. 

“Certainly, the president has concerns about the overall conduct of the FBI,” Sanders said.