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The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee is acknowledging that Attorney General Jeff Sessions� decision to fire former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe �may be justified.�

But Rep. Adam Schiff of California is also raising the question of whether it may be �tainted� because of McCabe�s potential role in a probe investigating ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Schiff said Sunday on ABC�s �This Week� that it�s difficult to know whether the firing was legitimate because it happened before the release of an inspector general�s report that�s expected to conclude McCabe was not forthcoming about matters related to the FBI investigation of Democrat Hillary Clinton�s emails.

Schiff notes that McCabe could be a relevant witness in the Russia probe as investigators look into whether Trump sought to thwart the FBI probe.

(AP)