Donald Trump 'asked potential new FBI director how he voted in 2016 election'

Bureau's acting chief reportedly 'disturbed' by conversation, which took place following President's sacking of James Comey

Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe attends a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. (AP)

Donald Trump summoned the acting FBI director for a meeting in the Oval Office during which he asked the intelligence chief who he voted for in the 2016 presidential election, it has been reported.

Andrew McCabe, the bureau’s current deputy director, found the conversation “disturbing”, according to an unnamed former US official.

The meeting took place in May last year while Mr McCabe was standing in as FBI chief following the President’s sacking of James Comey and was being considered for the role permanently, according to multiple current and former officials who spoke to the Washington Post.

The acting director told Mr Trump he did not vote, several current and former officials told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.

The meeting reportedly began as an introductory meet-and-greet before the President questioned Mr McCabe about his political persuasions and vented anger over donations received by his wife, a Democrat who ran for the Senate in 2015.

Jill McCabe’s unsuccessful campaign for a seat in Virginia received nearly $467,500 (£330,000) from a political action committee controlled by a close friend of Hillary Clinton, Mr Trump’s rival in the race for the White House.

Reports of the conversation between the President and Mr McCabe were said to have interested US special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 and collusion with Mr Trump’s campaign.

The meeting took place shortly after the President fired Mr Comey, having failed to pressure him to backing off from the Russia probe.

Mr Trump later held a second - reportedly brief - meeting with Mr McCabe in which he interviewed him for the permanent director position. But he is said to have had no intention of nominating him for the job, which subsequently went to Christopher Wray.

The President later railed against Mr McCabe and his wife, who he wrongly claimed “got big dollars” from Ms Clinton while the FBI investigated the Democratic presidential candidate's use of a private email server.

“Problem is that the acting head of the FBI & the person in charge of the Hillary investigation, Andrew McCabe, got $700,000 from H for wife,” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

The President is reported to have pressured Mr Wray to fire his deputy director, prompting the FBI chief to threaten to resign if Mr McCabe were forced out.

The White House declined to comment to the Washington Post, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.