That seems obvious. The NY Times reporter was the same guy who Comey used in the past for leaks, Michael Schmidt.
Via Daily Caller:
White House insiders reportedly believe former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe’s team planted a story in the press suggesting Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is conspiring against the president, according to Politico on Saturday.
McCabe’s colleagues allegedly concocted the ruse to bait President Donald Trump into firing Rosenstein ahead of November’s midterm elections, the report noted. Individuals within the West Wing believe the former FBI director’s team pushed the story to create political consequences for Trump, according to Politico.
McCabe’s spokesman pushed back on any such assertions, Politico reported. The report refers to a Sept. 21 New York Times article suggesting Rosenstein discussed wearing a wire to record Trump and volunteered to recruit cabinet officials to potentially remove the Republican from office.
Rosenstein allegedly made the remarks in meetings with Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI officials shortly after the May 9, 2017, firing of James Comey as FBI director. The deputy AG took part in Comey’s ouster, writing a letter recommending that he be fired because of his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.