Sessions considering whether to fire McCabe

[DonViejo]

Source: CNN



By Pamela Brown and Laura Jarrett, CNN

Updated 1:45 PM ET, Wed March 14, 2018

Washington (CNN)Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was set to officially retire on March 18, but according to a source familiar with the matter, he could be fired just days before and lose his pension after a more than two-decade career at the bureau.

The embattled official abruptly stepped down at the end of January and has been on leave since that time.

CNN has learned the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility has recommended McCabe be fired and now the decision is up to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The issue stems from findings in an internal Justice Department watchdog report that claims he misled investigators about his decision to authorize FBI officials to speak to the media about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation.


Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/politics/mccabe-sessions/index.html?adkey=bn

---

McCabe faces possible firing days before scheduled retirement: report

BY REBECCA SAVRANSKY - 03/14/18 01:40 PM EDT

Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe is facing a possible firing days ahead of his scheduled retirement, according to a new report.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is looking at a recommendation to fire McCabe, people briefed on the matter told The New York Times for a report published Wednesday.

The recommendation comes amid an internal review looking into a choice McCabe made in 2016 regarding allowing agency officials to speak with reporters about a Clinton Foundation investigation.

According to the Times, a report from the Justice Department's inspector general regarding the internal review triggered an FBI disciplinary process that recommended McCabe's firing. Sessions now has to decide whether to accept the recommendation, according to the Times.

more
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/378395-mccabe-could-be-fired-days-before-scheduled-retirement-report

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. If this happens, I hope that McCabe sues.

[Iliyah]

2. Give it a fucking rest asshole.

Ya need to be checking your own self with mad man and Kelly who basically tells him what to so, want your asswipe gone.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. It's illegal under the ERISA statute to fire people to deprive them of their pension rights.

If it happens I hope he sues.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. The federal retirement plans - CSRS and FERS - are exempt from ERISA. nt

[PJMcK]

14. Figures (n/t)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. I wasnt sure about that but they must have

other protections, I hope?

[BumRushDaShow]

24. Retired fed here

and nope. Feds can be terminated for specific reasons and in this case, they apparently claim to have a reason (and precedence for it). He could probably try to fight the termination but he needs to have some grounds for it.

[duforsure]

4. This is the start

Of them firing Mueller for trump and putin.

[slumcamper]

6. I suspect you are right.

That, more than anything, is what this is about. McCabe has effectively served as a buffer between Sessions and Mueller.

The vindictive elf Sessions has been on the hot seat for months. As his own tenure becomes more precarious, he becomes increasingly desperate to do the bidding of Agent Orange.

[RKP5637]

26. Yeah, same thoughts here. n/t

[lagomorph777]

32. This has zero effect on Mueller; McCabe is already off-duty.

Since McCabe helped sabotage the election for Trump, my sympathy level for him is low.

[paleotn]

36. Wouldn't dare....

The coward in chief (captain tweet-fire, since he can't actually fire someone face to face) simply won't go there. His "hands" are just too small. And not after the latest Mueller indictment. It would be obstruction of justice on it's face and an idiotic move. Dumber by far than the Saturday Night Massacre. Then again, he's not known for his good sense. I still think he's too much of a coward to make that move.

[calimary]

5. Well that's one piss-ant idea right there.

[politicaljunkie41910]

8. Sessions should realize that with Trump, it could be him tomorrow that Trump wants fired.

So Sessions should stop trying to appease the Dotard, and let him do what he's going to do, and if what HE does crosses the line, then Mueller will jump on it.

[RKP5637]

27. Sessions is probably on Dotard's short list to dump. n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. If he is fired, he should sue for his pension, ... and win. . . . . nt

[PJMcK]

16. What would be the basis for a lawsuit? (n/t)

[Fred Sanders]

20. Unjust dismissal. A firing requires cause...and I doubt he would lose any pension.

Pension is salary deferred.

[former9thward]

25. The "cause" is there.

The Inspector General report.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

38. That cause is debatable/litigable. Unjust also incl Vindictive, Overly Punitive, and Moot. . . . .nt

[former9thward]

39. Career non-Trump DOJ officials are recommending to Sessions that he be fired.

Anything in life is debatable/litigable. Corrupt officials should not be protected or rewarded.

[MBS]

10. For this crowd, mean-spiritedness and cruelty seem to be goals in themselves.

For legislative initiatives, executive orders, and handling of personnel matters, cruelty and hatred seem to be the common themes.

[iluvtennis]

17. Indeed. What shitholes they are to even consider such a

A thing for a two decade employee of the FBI. This is unacceptable. They already knocked him to the carpet by taking away the job he loved doing, now they want to kick him while he’s down. Evil

[CrispyQ]

19. Top shelf shitholes, for sure.

When the Access Hollywood tape came out my friends all said, "That will be the end of Trump." I said, "He mocked a disabled person & that wasn't the end. This won't be either." I know three people who admit they voted for him. I've avoided all three since the election. I don't know how anyone could vote for this vulgar man. It makes me question some very fundamental things about their integrity.

[Fred Sanders]

22. Folks are being too hard on Sessions and easy on McCabe.

McCabe tried to leak reports of a Clinton Foundation investigation to hurt Clinton, remember.

[underpants]

30. Just pure vindictive spite

They can't let anything pass without taking another pass and "punching down"

[janx]

11. Wait a minute--

The issue stems from findings in an internal Justice Department watchdog report that claims he misled investigators about his decision to authorize FBI officials to speak to the media about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation

Meaning Comey?

[lagomorph777]

33. Yes, he helped sabotage the election.

[karynnj]

12. His action led to a negative story for Clinton shortly before the election

From the NYT article, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-fbi-firing-recommendation-justice-department.html , he was unhappy with stories that he was putting the brakes on investigating the Clinton Foundation.

Therefore, he allowed FBI officials to deny that this was true - that he in fact, insisted they investigate. This obviously was a negative story saying this high FBI official pushed for an investigation, which suggests that there was something to investigate. The story says that it will not be known what the charges against McCabe are until the full report comes out - though it sounds like he may not have upfront that he did this. The story came out days before the election.

[leftynyc]

15. So he thinks Democrats

would support such a petty and vindictive thing?

[karynnj]

18. No - I suspect that the REAL targets are Comey and Mueller

- as they were formerly FBI. How they connect that, I don't know.

I was trying to expand the context of the officials speaking to the WSJ. Here, it seems the motivation was that he did not want to be seen as protecting HRC as rumored. So, he authorized officials to say he supported that investigation. In spite of his wife being a Democrat, he is a Republican.

It seems that he tried to hide this.

[janx]

34. Agreed about the targets, karynnj.

That was my first reaction too, although how they correlate events seems murky.

[avebury]

13. This could be a move to remove the focus of the press from

the Republican loss in Pennsylvania and on to McCabe instead. Regardless it is absolutely petty. I hope that McCabe has a valid lawsuit because it would be vindictive action.

[TeamPooka]

23. What a scumbag Sessions is. Fuck all these guys.

[wishstar]

28. Not feasible since McCabe is using up his earned leave days and his retirement date already approved

No way that Sessions can legally deprive McCabe of his ability to finish using his last days of earned leave leading up to his final retirement date that has already been officially approved and finalized in 4 days.

This report recommending his removal has been expected for months and is nothing new. If they wanted to remove McCabe earlier, the report would have been finished much earlier rather than having been completed and released in his final week.

[FBaggins]

40. Untrue

The can’t keep him from using his accrued leave, but this isn’t about a few more days of vacation pay...they can keep him from retiring by firing him (taking away his retirement income).

[poboy2]

29. Sessions is reviewing a recommendation to fire the former F.B.I. deputy director, Andrew McCabe

BREAKING: Trump, through Sessions, is trying to exact punishment against a 21-year FBI veteran he knows will be a witness against him in a criminal case by trying to have him fired days before his pension vests—a decision that may cost McCabe untold hundreds of thousands or more.Seth Abramson added,
Natasha Bertrand
Verified account

@NatashaBertrand
Sessions is reviewing a recommendation to fire the former F.B.I. deputy director, Andrew McCabe, just days before he is scheduled to retire on Sunday https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-fbi-firing-recommendation-justice-department.html?smid=pl-share …
10:50 AM - 14 Mar 2018
1,984 Retweets 2,425 Likes IT Currentskristin skahanLauri AbetyaKelly Bernardcarolyn frances andrJoy CheptooDee RobTherese Newtonkay exline
321 replies 1,984 retweets 2,425 likes
Reply 321 Retweet 2.0K Like 2.4K
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Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
56m56 minutes ago
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2/ More than that, this is Obstruction or Witness Tampering—as if McCabe is fired at Trump's direction (via Sessions) he's substantially weakened as a corroborating witness for Comey and against Trump at any future impeachment trial for Obstruction of Justice. And Trump knows it.
23 replies 262 retweets 788 likes
Reply 23 Retweet 262 Like 788

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
54m54 minutes ago
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3/ More than *that*, Sessions has no authority to make this decision, as he's recused from any decision relating to investigations of the 2016 election. Firing McCabe—a witness against Trump in a probe arising from the election—is just the sort of decision Sessions *cannot* make.
14 replies 242 retweets 767 likes
Reply 14 Retweet 242 Like 767

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
52m52 minutes ago
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4/ If Attorney General Sessions fires McCabe, expect Mueller to open up *another* front in his investigation, this time of Trump *and* Sessions for Obstruction. I've said it before and will say it again: Sessions is already a Mueller target, so he's doing himself no favors here.
28 replies 251 retweets 877 likes
Reply 28 Retweet 251 Like 877

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
48m48 minutes ago
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5/ The IG report triggered a disciplinary process that recommended firing, but given there's no AG or Acting AG with the authority to execute the firing—Sessions *and* Rosenstein are conflicted as to this—and the recommendation isn't time-sensitive, a firing would be Obstruction.
10 replies 96 retweets 394 likes
Reply 10 Retweet 96 Like 394

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
46m46 minutes ago
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6/ Some of you may ask how I see Trump's prints on this, given the IG report triggered this situation.

Easy: (a) Trump is discussing the Russia case with Sessions directly, indirectly, and via social media, and has made clear his views on McCabe and what he wants from Sessions;
4 replies 82 retweets 357 likes
Reply 4 Retweet 82 Like 357

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
45m45 minutes ago
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7/ (b) Trump has made clear what his opinion of Sessions' recusal is, pushing him at all points to undo that recusal or to simply selectively ignore it. Were Sessions not under this pressure, his inability to fire McCabe—given his recusal—would be absolutely clear and inarguable.
4 replies 75 retweets 325 likes
Reply 4 Retweet 75 Like 325

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
43m43 minutes ago
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8/ Trump has—by word and action—created a situation in which his AG feels pressure to ignore a required recusal and do so specifically to punish McCabe and other FBI officials. Had this not happened, the lack of anyone able to fire McCabe pre-retirement would *settle* this issue.
2 replies 77 retweets 305 likes
Reply 2 Retweet 77 Like 305

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
42m42 minutes ago
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9/ The whole time Trump was pressuring Sessions directly, indirectly and by social media, I noted Trump knew Sessions was a Mueller witness and that therefore those actions were illegal. Mueller agrees, and is investigating them. We now see what that illegal pressure has wrought.
8 replies 79 retweets 324 likes
Reply 8 Retweet 79 Like 324

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
39m39 minutes ago
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10/ So while I'm certain Trump *did* talk to Sessions about firing McCabe *in response to this recommendation*—having also discussed it pre-recommendation—even had that conversation not occurred, a firing of McCabe pre-retirement would legally be a consequence of Trump's actions.
9 replies 70 retweets 305 likes
Reply 9 Retweet 70 Like 305

Seth Abramson
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@SethAbramson
37m37 minutes ago
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NOTE/ The reason Obstruction statutes talk not just about threats but "influence" is that lawmakers know that this is how obstruction efforts work—Trump "influences" Sessions to take certain actions that will materially affect the quality of the criminal prosecution Trump faces.
19 replies 97 retweets 354 likes
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https://twitter.com/SethAbramson

[Gothmog]

31. trump is truly a small and petty person with small hands

[Angry Dragon]

35. trump is truly a small and petty person

[mrmpa]

37. Does this bear any similarity to the "Night of the Long Knives"?

In 1934 the Night of the Long Knives was conducted for Hitler to consolidate his power. With Tillerson out, Pompeo in, Trump wanting his people in the Cabinet, this sounds like he is trying to consolidate power.