Michael Steinbach, a former official with the FBI, was found to be repeatedly in violation of federal law and policy within the bureau with a series of inappropriate interactions with members of the press while still overseeing the discredited investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged dealings with Russia.
Steinbach was set in place as the executive assistant director of the National Security Bureau for the FBI back in February of 2016, a scant five months before the FBI began its probing for the Crossfire Hurricane investigation concerning the Trump presidential campaign. Steinbach was a figurehead for overseeing the investigation. He then quickly resigned from the FBI as a whole in February 2017.
Steinbach “had numerous unauthorized contacts with the media” starting just before his promotion up to assistant director and continuing on after, as stated in a recent report from the Department of Justice Inspector General that was obtained by the New York Post.
According to an official watchdog report, Steinback made use of his relationship with a reporter in order to get a $300 ticket for the 2016 White House Correspondents’ Association gala. Steinback also got an invitation from a reporter to attend the 2015 Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Steinbach’s conversations with reporters were highlighted in the Inspector General’s report but contained a few redactions. “Lots of [redacted] reporters here. May have to branch out!” stated the reporter. “[W]ell they will never be as good as me! and don’t you get the big head! ;)”
“But they are promising the WH Correspondents dinner,” fire back Steinbach, as reported by the Post.
Steinbach’s conversations with reporters just outside of the bounds of policy within the FBI went on for a few years.
“Steinbach had hundreds of contacts with the media for several years,” the report stated, as reported by Politico. “This media contact included social engagements outside of FBI headquarters without any coordination from Office of Public Affairs (OPA), involving drinks, lunches and dinners.”
The report claimed that the policy within the FBI concerning media was “unambiguous.” All FBI officials that were interviewed by the inspector general stated that the policy as espoused by former FBI Director James Comey was far more flexible in its scope.
Comey was “was trying to change the way the FBI dealt with the media,” stated the official to the inspector general. “I think Director Comey, more than any director I ever heard, fully understood the concept that we’re only as good as our ability to listen to information with people.”
“And when you take your credentials out, it needs to mean something. And the only way to do that is to have the trust. And the only way to get the trust is to have good will and the media is part of that, right?” claimed the official.
The report concluded by saying that “[p]rosecution was declined.”