FBI internal review has recommended firing former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and, with his retirement just four days away, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering pulling the trigger.
McCabe left the position of FBI deputy director and went on leave until a March 2018 employment goal that would provide him full pension benefits. Reports indicated he was removed from the deputy director position.
A Justice Department Inspector General’s investigation into McCabe’s handling of a Clinton Foundation investigation resulted in the recommendation that McCabe be fired according to the New York Times. The IG determined that McCabe was not forthcoming in the course of the review and resulted in the termination recommendation. Sessions is now considering the recommendation, according to the report.
News of McCabe’s position change came as the House Intelligence Committee considered release of a memo on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) surveillance and the 2016 presidential election that has since been released. FBI Director Christopher Wray reviewed the memo the day before McCabe’s departure. McCabe’s leave also came shortly after he faltered in testimony before Congress regarding his connections to the anti-Trump Russian “pee” dossier and investigation into Clinton’s email server.
President Barack Obama appointed McCabe to the position of Deputy Director in 2016. He served as acting director between President Donald Trump’s firing of James Comey and confirmation of Wray.
President Trump called out McCabe last December upon news that he would try to ride out his employment until the full benefits goal:
FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017
Trump also criticized McCabe over conflicts between support for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and investigation of Clinton’s mishandling of classified information in email:
.@FoxNews-FBI’s Andrew McCabe, “in addition to his wife getting all of this money from M (Clinton Puppet), he was using, allegedly, his FBI Official Email Account to promote her campaign. You obviously cannot do this. These were the people who were investigating Hillary Clinton.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017
In July 2017 Trump publicly questioned Sessions for not removing, “…a Comey friend who was in charge of Clinton investigation…”
McCabe is set to receive full retirement benefits if he can retain his employment until Sunday.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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