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Watch live: Acting FBI director testifies before Senate panel

By Eric DuVall
Andrew McCabe, acting Director of the FBI, prepares to testify during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
1 of 3 | Andrew McCabe, acting Director of the FBI, prepares to testify during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

May 11 (UPI) -- Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday in place of his former boss, James Comey, who was abruptly fired by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is, like the FBI, undertaking an investigation into Russia's hacking of the 2016 presidential election and whether any Trump campaign officials colluded with the Russian government's efforts to undermine Democrats in the election.

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That topic was not the specified reason for Thursday's hearing, which had been scheduled weeks ago, however given the events of the last week, it's likely senators will seek McCabe's insight on what impact Comey's firing might have on the FBI's Russia inquiry.

As Comey's top deputy at the bureau, McCabe, a career law enforcement officer, automatically assumed the role of acting director and will remain in charge until Trump nominates a replacement who is confirmed by the Senate.

Comey had been scheduled to update senators on the FBI's progress in its Russia inquiry and other items as art of his regular appearances before Congress. That changed Tuesday, when Trump citing opinions by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his top deputy, fired Comey. Administration officials cited Comey's handling of the FBI's separate inquiry into Hillary Clinton's private email server as the reason Justice Department officials had lost confidence in Comey's ability to lead the nation's top law enforcement agency.

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Democrats questioned whether Trump actually fired Comey because of the FBI's ongoing Russia investigation.

Comey has been summoned to testify as a private citizen before a closed-door Senate Intelligence Committee hearing next week.

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