WATCH: Andrew McCabe Doubles Down On Baseless Russia Hoax, Calls Durham Report ‘Political Errand’

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who resigned over the mishandling of the investigation into ties between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, defended his tenure after a new report places blame on the bureau for politicizing the investigation.

McCabe, speaking Monday with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, slammed the long-awaited report by special counsel John Durham concluding that the FBI should never have launched its probe into the Trump campaign and alleges the agency held the president’s campaign to a higher standard by not placing equal weight on its investigation into similar claims against the campaign of Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton.

“We knew from the very beginning what John Durham was going to conclude, and that’s what we saw today. We knew from the very beginning that this was never a legitimate investigation. This was a political errand to exact some sort of retribution on Donald Trump’s perceived enemies in the FBI, that’s what Mr. Durham has done,” McCabe said.

WATCH:

Between 2017 and 2018 McCabe served as the FBI’s acting director following the dismissal of former director James Comey by President Trump for spearheading the bureau’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. McCabe later claimed to have “stepped aside” and ended his leadership after withering attacks from then-President Trump over donations his wife made to a Democratic donor with ties to Hillary Clinton. While FBI officials maintain President Trump was not involved in McCabe’s decision to leave the FBI, the former president’s opinion of McCabe was frequently voiced on Twitter.

How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin’ James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wife’s campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017

Earlier this month a group of FBI veterans, each with more than 20 years of service, signed a public letter decrying the agency’s politicization in favor of President Biden and cited Comey’s investigation into the alleged Trump-Russia collusion as well as former Trump national security director Michael Flynn.

“We agree privately and uniformly that [the] FBI is heading in the wrong direction and has been too entrenched with partisan politics,” wrote the agents.