Andrew McCabe fired
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has been fired less than two days before his expected retirement, putting his pension in jeopardy after more than 20 years at the bureau.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions claimed Mr McCabe had “made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candour – including under oath – on multiple occasions”.
He added that the firing was based on a report by the Justice Department Inspector General, findings from the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility, and the recommendation of the Justice Department’s senior career official.
The Inspector General found earlier this month that Mr McCabe had improperly authorized disclosures to a reporter about FBI investigations into Hillary Clinton, The Washington Post reported. It was also said that Mr McCabe had misled investigators about the matter.
Mr McCabe has denied misleading anyone.
The former deputy director stepped down from the No 2 position earlier this year, after FBI Director Christopher Wray was briefed on the Inspector General's report. He remained an employee of the bureau.
The FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility recommended Mr McCabe’s firing earlier this week, according to the New York Times. He reportedly met Thursday with his attorney and Scott Schools, the highest-ranking career employee of the Justice Department, in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent his firing.
Mr McCabe responded to the firing with a lengthy statement, in which he claimed he had followed FBI rules and always acted in the interest of setting "the record straight on behalf of the Bureau”.
He said: “I was being portrayed in the media over and over as a political partisan, accused of closing down investigations under political pressure,” he said. “The FBI was portrayed as caving under that pressure, and making decisions for political rather than law enforcement purposes. Nothing was further from the truth.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised Mr McCabe – who has worked with the FBI since 1996 – and accused him of being biased in favor of Ms Clinton. He was particularly critical of the fact that Mr McCabe’s wife, Jill, ran as a Democrat for a state Senate seat in Virginia.
The firing came just days before Mr McCabe was expected to retire, just in time for his 50th birthday. The abrupt dismissal could jeopardise his ability to collect early retirement benefits.
Mr McCabe briefly served as director of the FBI last year, between the firing of former Director James Comey and Mr Wray’s swearing in.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions claimed Mr McCabe had “made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candour – including under oath – on multiple occasions”.
He added that the firing was based on a report by the Justice Department Inspector General, findings from the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility, and the recommendation of the Justice Department’s senior career official.
The Inspector General found earlier this month that Mr McCabe had improperly authorized disclosures to a reporter about FBI investigations into Hillary Clinton, The Washington Post reported. It was also said that Mr McCabe had misled investigators about the matter.
Mr McCabe has denied misleading anyone.
The former deputy director stepped down from the No 2 position earlier this year, after FBI Director Christopher Wray was briefed on the Inspector General's report. He remained an employee of the bureau.
The FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility recommended Mr McCabe’s firing earlier this week, according to the New York Times. He reportedly met Thursday with his attorney and Scott Schools, the highest-ranking career employee of the Justice Department, in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent his firing.
Mr McCabe responded to the firing with a lengthy statement, in which he claimed he had followed FBI rules and always acted in the interest of setting "the record straight on behalf of the Bureau”.
He said: “I was being portrayed in the media over and over as a political partisan, accused of closing down investigations under political pressure,” he said. “The FBI was portrayed as caving under that pressure, and making decisions for political rather than law enforcement purposes. Nothing was further from the truth.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised Mr McCabe – who has worked with the FBI since 1996 – and accused him of being biased in favor of Ms Clinton. He was particularly critical of the fact that Mr McCabe’s wife, Jill, ran as a Democrat for a state Senate seat in Virginia.
The firing came just days before Mr McCabe was expected to retire, just in time for his 50th birthday. The abrupt dismissal could jeopardise his ability to collect early retirement benefits.
Mr McCabe briefly served as director of the FBI last year, between the firing of former Director James Comey and Mr Wray’s swearing in.
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