So, the man who LIED several times during his Confirmation hearing- and during testimony before the Intelligence committee (about the "Russia-Thing")- *gets* to decide whether to fire a career civil servant 72 hours before their pension kicks in.
There is a proverb (paraphrased): "When the wicked perish- there is celebration in the streets." November 2020 cannot come too soon.
8
Reading through the comments from NYT readers is amazing.
The article does not explain the reason for McCabe's prospective firing. The information has not been made public. And the NYT's stable of leakers either don't know, or NYT chooses not to publish it.
There are a lot of comments about McCabe being a dedicated civil servant, serving the country honorably, so on and so forth. But let's be honest, folks. You're saying this without knowing what he's been accused of, much less what the evidence is against him. All you know is that Trump said mean things to him and/or about him, so he MUST be a person of integrity.
I've read enough about him in sources other than "the newspaper of record" to know that he's not the font of integrity you all would like to believe.
As far as I'm concerned, he can be grouped in with Lois Lerner, who used her position to abuse Obama's political opponents; VA officials who falsified the records of medical treatment for veterans; Eric Holder, who was held in contempt of Congress for withholding information on a DOJ action leading to the deaths of numerous Mexican nationals and a US Border Patrol Agent; John Koskinen, who allowed hard drives to be destroyed after they had been subpoenaed by Congress; James Comey, who allowed a document he himself described as "salacious and unverified" to be used to seek a warrant to spy on a US citizen; and a lot of other federal bureaucrats who skated by without being held responsible for their misdeeds.
7
Hard to know if he should be fired without all the details, but there is no question that Sessions will fire him. He had all the Trump Tweet demeaning he could handle. He wants a pat on the back.
3
There is something purely evil about this. We will see if Jeff Sessions has the integrity to do the right thing or continue carrying his Trumpian Shoe-Shine Kit.
3
This is quite ironic considering that most FBI agents are Republicans/Conservatives and, in fact, they did hurt Clinton's campaign:
1. FBI agents (particularly, the ones in the New York office who were buddies of Rudy Giuliani) "actively" tried to derail and/or damage Hillary Clinton's campaign by the release of "Wiener-email" memo a week before the election, spreading "rumors" that the arrest of Clinton was imminent, etc.
2. Some of Obama national security people have stated that FBI folks prematurely labeled/declared portions of Clinton's emails as SECRET to hype up/create this "email controversy." The FBI guys redacted those email segments so no one could challenge them ... that would be "foxes in charge of the hen house" ...
2
Mr McCabe is F.B.I professional. He knows very well what the risk is and what it means to be "not forthcoming" in an I.G. review. He's hiding info and should be fired.
3
Pathetic. Isn't it? What have we become? Is this the new normal on how we treat our dedicated civil servants when they are forced into our political landscape? When Mr. McCabe leaves, I doubt if you will see any more like him in the future. All the good people have been driven away by watching this kind of abuse, but Trump and Sessions don't want good people. They want people who will follow orders no matter how illegal or wrong they are. If Sessions fires McCabe to damage his retirement after his 21 years of service, Sessions will have created an ill-fated destiny that will destroy what’s left of his life. it’s only a matter of time before Sessions and Trump will pay dearly for the destruction they have caused our government and the American people.
34
To me, this desire to sack Andrew McCabe just short of hiss retirement smacks of the usual Trumpsky approach of assaulting someone's character or by demeaning the person's accomplishments (or in this case his wife's).
So, I hope, in spite of his faults, Andrew McCabe is allowed to retire with some dignity. The alternative will be the further politicization of the FBI by the most evil and corrupt chief executive in American history.
A growing number of thoughtful Americans want Trumpsky pushed out of office, humiliated and eventually jailed for his repeated high crimes and misdemeanors.
11
Off subject: If Trump starts a war with Iran or North Korea or someone else it will surely split the country because outside of his racist base there is no popular support for it. He does such a poor job of lying (unlike Dubya did) no one will take any claim of provocation as credible at all.
1
So petty, so small, such nonsense and disrespect. All accomplished with a complicit, silent Republican Party. The advertisements write themselves. Nov 6th is going to be here before we know it!
8
All so that Trump can say, "I insulted his wife, insulted him, fired him for lying, and stole his pension so obviously he is lying about me."
4
Finland here I come!
2
In Hurricane Trump's' path, only massive and unending destruction.
4
If Trump has McCabe fired just days before his retirement so that he would lose his entire retirement after over 20 years of service in the FBI it would be the most despicable act to date of the most despicable man in America. This illegitimate so called president has the mentality of a tantrum throwing 2 year old.
14
If Sessions is so STUPID to follow through with McCabe's firing which may result in a loss of his pension, then I am willing to donate to a GoFundMe account on his behalf. Thank you Mr. McCabe for dedicating years of service to this great (soon to be even greater sans Trump) country, our USA.
5
Jeff Sessions, if you do this, you will have lost any last shed of decency you had, and your legacy as a Trumpian toady, doormat, and man of utter dishonesty will follow you to the grave and beyond. Southern gentleman, indeed.
8
Of all the nauseating behavior Donald J Trump exhibits, his petty vindictativeness may be the worst. A Man whose mind is set on Gotcha-ing everyone he knows can never be a Leader.
9
This is an act of sheer vindictiveness on the part of Trump, because McCabe was actually doing his job. Robbing a dedicated career public servant of his his hard-earned pension on "Trumped" up charges (which these are) would be one of the most reprehensible actions this president and his lackey Jeff Session could take against a public servant. What does Sessions have to gain by this? Nothing. His head is already on the chopping block, so he will not regain Trump's favor which is a dubious prize at best and more likely a curse. We are in dark times and headed for darker ones. with this administration.
5
if Sessions does this the blue wave will be unprecedented ...
5
Aren't Americans stuck with a kind of out of control judging of everyone. This constant thinking that we are better than the next guy, and so, we need to judge the person. There's all this certitude in everyone's thinking. We all have limitations and imperfections. We need to have intolerance. Without it, Americans may find themselves acting like Trump.
This looks to be the tip of an iceberg. It seems that the rantings from the right could be more than political hysteria. If laws were broken, if our highest law enforcement officials were using their offices for political targeting, all Americans need to put away their partisan hats and demand that justice be done. And that all conspirators be identified and removed, and if the level of their offense was high enough, be prosecuted.
3
This will be a test of General Sessions' commitment to law enforcement and the institution of the F.B.I. I have faith he will draw the line.
Is this intimidation of a witness, to warn off potential future witnesses? A brave new world.
2
In the business world people are employed At Will which means they can be terminated at any time. No reason is required. Trump is a businessman and is treating the office as a business operation. It is now time that those in government are subject to the same rules as the rest of the workforce. Why should government workers be held to a different set of standards than an At Will employee of Ford Motor, Pizza Hut or Kroger ? Fire McCabe now because instead of catching crooks he was playing office politics.
3
Perhaps this is like so many other things Trump has hinted at.
The real purpose is to create a distraction from something else.
Maybe in this case, so he doesn't have to defend how he got his bottom kicked in Pennsylvania by Conor Lamb.
Or how all the school kids are standing up to the NRA when Trump doesn't.
5
If McCabe was too cute or misled IG investigators, he's toast. I assume they passed the statements or transcripts to the disciplinary office because the statute of limitations (retirement) was looming.
1
Fire someone just days before they retire and cause havoc to their pension?! How low can you go? But wait - is McCabe a good guy or a bad guy? The cast of characters had gotten so long that I no longer know one from another.
1
McCabe has been a lifelong Republican. Trump has no idea what that was or what it meant.
1
I have yet to talk to a current or former FBI field agent or manager who has one bit of sympathy for McCabe. To a person, they believe that he tarnished both the FBI's and their reputation. BTW, he will still be eligible for his pension, just not quite as early.
2
This has nothing to do with investigations. This is part of a scornful president and his distorted demands of loyalty. A public servant's retirement means nothing. Sessions will follow his boss' wishes.
It is Trump law: if you are with me and clap each time I talk mostly nonsense), it is OK to be a criminal. So many things happened this week that we almost forgot already about ohn McEntee, personal assistant to the president. Fired because federal agents are investigating him for white collar crimes, including identity theft but rewarded with a job in the Trump campaign. Does anybody have the percentage of Trump campaign workers that have been charged or investigated for crimes? Is that a job requirement?
3
Reading these comments, most supporting McCabe and bashing Trump, I ask: did the commenters read the article?
It is clear that the Inspector General found that McCabe lied to Justice Department authorities. It is also stated that "lack of candor is a fireable offnse" and "when agents are found to have shown a lack of candor under oath, they are commonly fired."
And yet many here are arguing for special treatment of McCabe, why? Oh, right. Because Trump.
8
He has Merit system protection and has to have 30 days notice min. Obviously, Trump doesn’t realize this.
He is also going to make it impossible to hire new agents. Just like they can not hire any descent TSA or border Agents since they are stuck in Homeland Security’s
Mr. Lamb came out ahead of Mr. Saccone in Pennsylvania in substantial part because voters don't trust the Republican Party with their pensions. Pres. Trump's threat to Mr. McCabe, even if illegal, is part of the pattern, not a one-off.
Secondly, IGs are not responsible to anyone, which has led to conclusions that don't show good judgment. Regrettably, you have to take a lot of care with IG reports.
1
It's clear that Tsar Donald the 1st is despot, eager to destroy the lives of anyone who DARES defy him in any way, dared oppose him in any way, dared to fairly deal with ANYONE who opposed, dares to seek to preserve our Democratic Republic.
In any business, if you fire someone 4 days before they retire, you're gonna be sued and you're gonna lose, and lose big.
The vicious vindictiveness of the slow-moving Trump coup d'etat against our Constitution proves yet again that all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. I guess I'm being too nice describing the House majority and House & Senate leaderships as "good people". They can stop this attack but they won't, because their loyalties are to their party and their donors, but NOT to their nation.
4
Apparently most of the commenters either haven't read the article or don't trust the NYT reporting staff. The article clearly states that McCabe was recommended for firing by the Office of Professional Responsibility, and that any appeal of their recommendation is to Sessions, not to a Civil Service tribunal. The FBI has a right to set the standards for employment, and for receiving a pension. The Deputy Director should be held to the highest standard, and if any rank and file agent has lost their pension for "lack of candor" then he should most definitely not be spared. The same policy should apply to all. If the policy is wrong, change the policy, but don't spare your highest paid political darling the standard punishment. I think a just resolution would be to bust him to private and let him get a vastly reduced pension. That would honor years of faithful work as he was rising in the ranks, but punish the bad decisions at the end of his run. Just my humble opinion Mr. Sessions.
2
Exactly! It’s this exact mind set of not punishing high ranking and well connected people (Hillary) for things that would have gotten subordinates in trouble that put Trump in the White House.
2
he's not going to lose his pension.....even if fired.
Occasionally, I like to contemplate the
imponderable questions that have
befuddled man since the dawn of time,
such as: How does a man turn a thirty
million dollar inheritance into a
billion dollar empire in the rough and
tumble world of Manhattan real estate?
The same way a man Nobody wants to Be
president, becomes president: you
partner with the Russian mob.
5
There’s no reason to take his pension after a 21 year career. I’m sure he had many good years at the FBI and his crime is a lapse in judgment.
1
Let McCabe retire and keep a pension. Let him go.
4
Trump has made impossible any objective effort to sort this out. His penchant for lying (note even today's reports of making up false "facts' to argue trade balance with the Canadian Prime Minister) and demonizing those who he would next seek to destroy are a method of governing more suited to a despot than an American President.
The Roman senator Cicero noted that "Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" today describes Trump. Clear thinking from twenty centuries ago aptly describes the foggy twisted mind of our would-be thug masquerading as president. His time to go will arrive, and hopefully it will be before national political Armageddon arrives. McCabe is a symptom of ravaging ruinous behavior of the President, not the high crime a mirror to Trump would show.
3
Show us your tax returns.
In the meantime, I want to know, who is going to pay for the wall?
1
We are long in details that Trump is an abhorrent character worthy of impeachment but we are short in details about McCabe. As a former public servant I want to hear that a firing is just one more attempt thuggish act by Trump. Still, we must go where the facts are.
1
This is how tin pot dictators operate in banana republics - sic the law on perceived political opponents to silence them or to seek revenge. It will be a test of character for Sessions. I hope he doesn't kowtow to Trump just to save his job.
2
This is what kind of person we have in the White House: firing someone so he cannot get his pension. Clinton was right. He is deplorable and would do it to anybody if he could.
3
And we wonder why people don’t pursue federal careers?! This man served the laws of this country and the Constitution for 20 years. Jeff Sssions, give the man his pension!
3
He used his government employment to advance the political objectives of Obama and Hillary. That was a violation of the Hatch Act as well as numerous regulations and as campaign finance laws. He served himself. He should be in jail, even though his attempts to interfere in the democratic process were unsuccessful.
3
The man is a Republican, for god's sakes - doubtful he ever tried to promote the Obama/Hillary agenda.
1
These are the people Republicans choose to be our leaders. What do we get? An endless creep show.
2
Without all the facts before us (including the Inspector General's report), it's hard to predict what a responsible decision should be in this case. However, in general, we are too often seeing people being allowed to "retire" after firing offenses, e.g., the Parkland school deputy, the FBI people who couldn't find Cruz, the FBI people who blew off the later warning on Cruz, and the like. It's kind of similar to those "undocumented aliens" who commit crimes but are excused by state authorities, and facilitated in escape from ICE. It's as though too many authorities these days really just want to avoid joining issue in awkward situation. That means they shouldn't really be called authorities, but avoiders and enablers.
1
Does General Sessions really need yet another controversy? His best move is to make a decision on Monday.
There is no way that his pension would be at risk. You can’t work for all those years and be fired four days before retirement and then lose everything.
1
It’s unfortunate for Mr. McCabe that he will be the first to pay for mixing politics with a government position. Lois Lerner should have set the stage for betraying the public trust, but she slipped away and taxpayers continue footing the bill for her retirement. It was absurd that we paid her to do a job then she refused to answer questions about her actions in that role. In the private sector she would have been sent home empty handed. I miss the days of trusting government employees.
2
How mean-spirited can you get? The whole point of civil service protections is to keep politics at bay. No way, except petty bitterness and point-scoring , should Sessions even contemplate firing McCabe the week before his retirement.
3
Not only should he be fired, he should be indicted, tried and convicted and should serve time in prison. His actions, and subsequent incarceration will serve as a stark reminder of the obligation federal employees have to operate within the confines of the law.
2
well, so much for due process - you already have the man guilty and he's not been indicted.
2
Since when is a wife running as a Democrat a fireable offense - or one even worthy of remark?
As for Lack Of Candor: that’s the nicest thing that anyone could imagine saying about the Trump Administration.
Trump and company have been sending out indications that being a Republican provides no guarantees against prosecution from your own Party. “Alliance To Trump” seems to be the only valuable coin of the realm these days...
1
I deeply oppose Trump in many grounds, including this attempt to intervene and punish. But if McCabe’s lack of candor is a standard fireable offense, he should be fired. Now more than ever we must affirm the necessity of truthfulness and transparency in government precisely because we must counteract the poison of Trumpism. In short, the same action with different intentions (stated clearly and including a refutation) could yield radically different results.
Oh my god do I have to keep hearing about the horror of Hillary's emails the rest of my life? First of all, to suggest that the FBI went easy on Clinton during the 2016 is ridiculous. They kept that story in the public eye, allowing Trump & Friends to weaponize it, while keeping a lid on the FBI's investigation of Trump, which clearly has led post-election to real corruption being unearthed.
Clinton's emails, and Podesta's stupid emails, have been in the public domain for a long time now, and plenty of GOP rag pickers have gone through them looking for something, and found nothing.
First it was the argument that Clinton exposed the country to danger by using her own server and a public account. Horrors! When that lost traction because a bunch of GOP people have used personal accounts, they found that over the course of years, thousands were deleted.
Do you delete stuff from your Inbox? I hope so, or the inbox would be overflowing. That one landed itself to conspiracy thinking. So, Trump asked his pals in Moscow to hack some more and find those deleted ones. They dumped everything they had through Wikileaks. Still nothing of substance.
The mantra continued: Just keep repeating, emails, emails, emails. I say enough, enough, enough!
6
The FBI, and specifically Comey, did show bias in the 2016 election.
Comey released information two times about Hillary e-mails.
We never knew the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign ties to Russia.
And Comey is a Republican.
And what about the 22 Million deleted e-mails if the George W Bush White House private server.
MASA - Make America Smart Again
6
To even contemplate firing a career agent just days before retirement is beyond pathetic and petty. I thought it wise to give Trump and his crew a chance after being elected, but he shows every day why he doesn't deserve to be in the White House.
4
Unlike Comey, McCabe gets a heads-up...so,is Rosenstein off the hook...for now? This Trump saga is ever mind-boggling,even as exhausting as it is.
What a messy crowd!
When can we impeach Trump for criminal acts? What next, dictator for life approved by corrupt Supreme Court?
5
A pension of s part of the salary withheld that we work for. It’s not a perk, not gift. To threaten firing McCabe and taking his pension away within days of him leaving anyway is the work of a devil.
I truly detest this administration of vindictive fools and led by an outright jerk.
5
trump and his posse, are getting scarier every day
5
It is Obama gang's work to deflect any mess left behind by attacking Trump with collusion with Russia.
You folks are in trouble. You have a dictator on the rise and he is probably getting help from Putin to pull it off. It is so easy to see how he is picking off one by one anyone that is decent. He is going to make sure no one is left to defend the U.S. "president for LIFE' He is going to shame everyone who challenges him. Good Luck.
6
Trump is as vindictive as he is shallow.
4
McCabe's wife took 650K from a Clinton connected PAC yet he still, somehow, was involved in both the Clinton and Trump investigations. Then the FBI justifies this by citing his wife's loss. Oh, it's like the 650K never happened. Please.
There are thousands of top tier agents that could have been tapped from outside the DC area i.e Kansas City. But this didn't happen and it wasn't an accident.
The IG report is going to be damning and somewhat vindicate Trump. And McCabe could very well go to jail.
3
Looks like revenge from trump to me.
2
McCabe could choose to make the internal review public to prove that this is a political whack job.
1
McCabe should not be fired in the first place because he is innocent. Being a Democrat is NOT a crime in America—at least not yet! Full blown fascism waits in the wings. We must quell it.
But if McCabe is wrongly fired it is the lowest level of cruelty to deprive him of his pension. But then our president is capable of all such cruelties. He is a bad bad man.
4
No doubt trump will destroy him financially. That's just who he is. You know, the change we all needed. The same mantra the GOP used for voting for idiots like trump and W Bush. The same people who HATE Obama for not getting us out of W's fake war....the war that they will not admit was a lie by the war monger Cheney/Bush.
3
Nothing should surprise anyone about they way President Trump behaves. Firing a career civil servant a few days before he retired after 21 years service to his country is precisely what one would expect Trump to do. He is a moron, and a vengeful moron at that. He demands personal loyalty, apparently. Yet he was the man who on five separate occasions avoided the draft and the chance to service his country as a soldier during the Vietnam War. He's a bully and a misogynist. But America is a great country and the Founding Fathers were truly amazing men and so very wise. But so were those who proposed the 25th Amendment after the death of President Kennedy. Who knows what the mid-term elections and the report of the Special Prosecutor will bring. The world lives in hope.
2
Sessions is an ugly racist there is no doubt of that. But his recusal from the investigation into Russian’s doings in America shows that deep inside his black heart a small grain of honor gnaws at him. He should hang on to that.
2
a more honest headline would be that the IG recommends firing of Comeys right hand man
I kind of think that this is a nothing story, in fact quite sure of it. McCabe has not been charged or convicted of a crime. If McCabe was a carreer agent, he at the very least has civil service law protection against having his pension confiscated. Being fired only means in civil service terms being fired in his management or administrative position and reduced to his last civil service level. This is why there are Civil Service Laws to begin with, to protect against this sort of political abuse.
36
But by being fired, rsther than finishing his term, he probably loses his benefits; a petty move, but fully in line with the current president's eays.
1
I don’t really know how it works on the Federal level. But yes, he might lose whatever management benefits there are, but would retain rank and file benefits. Here in NYC those are actually better than what managers get with lower deductibles , better prescription coverage, etc. This may seem petty, but it is really not, because when you retire, that’s it, you live on your pension and benefits, Social Security and IRA.
I tend to agree, but DJT is desperate to get even with anyone who looks into his cozy relationship with Putin.
One has to ask, why?
1
Terminating McCabe would be insanity. Surely, McCabe would have a whistleblower cause of action. The pleadings for such case would be public on PACER. The pleadings for such lawsuit would be rich in details about what McCabe knew and reported about Trump and his administration's potential criminal conduct.
McCabe knows all the skeletons Trump has buried. Trump wants to keep them buried.
Trump and his henchmen would have to submit to depositions and the production of records and all the skeletons would be exhumed.
The litigation, despite Trump's best efforts, would become public and would be a political nightmare, regardless what Mueller does.
While I would hate for any untoward actions to befall McCabe, if insanity prevails, I would like to see the pleadings tear Trump apart.
53
You have a thin grasp of litigation. You may want to consult a few more episodes of Law & Order.
I was reading a story the other day of all of the shady people Trump has been associated with throughout his business career as a N.Y. real estate developer. It reads like a Top Ten FBI Wanted list: Tony Salerno (Fat Tony), Paul Castelleno (Big Paulie), various Russian Mob figures. It goes on and on. I am sure Trump is afraid that McCabe will pen a best selling expose in his retirement, and wants to discredit him in advance by ordering Sessions to fire him on the cusp of leaving the Bureau.
2
This is a bully tactic and a warning to Trump’s challengers and detractors. He’s stepping up the authoritarian nationalism we’ve all been expecting for the last year. It will get worse.
59
In the Trumpian universe, if any member of your family isn't a Trump supporter you get fired. Yeah, Trump sees himself as President-for-Life and demands to be beloved of his subjects.
In my non-professional opinion Trump is a sociopath with power and a political party with no backbone. What they don't realize is that Trump will purge the RNC ranks as well. One day he's going to try and fire a Senator or Representative that disagrees with him and maybe outlaw the Democratic Party.
3
And what sort of cretin insults a man's wife to his face by calling her a loser, knowing full well that his position keeps him safe from getting a very well deserved punch in the mouth? What a small, small man.
95
The coward, bully sort?
3
This is truly a disturbing and disgusting story about this sociopathic president we are stuck with. Mr. McCabe might get some protection from Civil Service rules and regulations but that depends on whether higher ranked personnel fall under these protections. However, this should really bring home the importance of unions in offering protections to workers not under civil service type rules. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The corruption oozing out of this administration daily is threatening our entire democracy.
72
Seems suspicious that the investigation into McCabe's behavior is part of a larger overall investigation, but the IG goes out of his way to issue only a report on McCabe a couple of days before he is set to retire. Maybe the IG should be investigated. It certainly establishes a prima fascia case for political retaliation.
50
Note that this was not a "report" from the IG's office. It was not even a leak from the IG's office (which hardly ever leaks). It was a leak from the Office of Professional Responsibility. Someone there apparently -did- go out of their way to leak this only days from McCabe's retirement. It's not clear why; firing him wouldn't really effect his pension. A lot of the news stories say it would, but that's not what the law says.
It would be the height of irony if McCabe were fired for "lack of candor". Perhaps Sessions should also consider his own lack of candor during the confirmation hearings as he considers this case.
On both merits, McCabe and Sessions should be gone.
16
These guys didn't drain the swamp: they just lowered the drinking age
25
If Mr. McCabe is a member of the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) he will probably be eligible for representation by the FBIAA to challenge any adverse action against him directly in Federal Court (bypassing MSPB and OSC) for wrongful termination or prohibited political influence. All of Trump's tweets and communication to Sessions would likely be admissable as evidence of prohibited interference and Sessions could likely be deposed and compelled to testify. Trump might even be required to submit to a deposition. The Government would need to show that dismissal of McCabe for the wrongdoing uncovered by the IG was more likely than not the standard penalty. If firing was out of the ordinary, McCabe might be likely to get a judgement for payment as if he was reinstated plus all sorts of damages. The falseness, prejudice, and malice in Trump's tweets about McCabe would be subject to dissection and exposition using agressive adversarial courtroom procedures, not the lunacy of the cheering section at a Trump rally.
39
Mueller needs to turn NYS loose to start filling charges against Manafort and others within the state to insulate against federal pardons.
16
On the path to destruction. The US or himself ?
6
I think I will have to go back to school and get a PhD, in something, in order to make any sense out of this mess.
9
double major poli sci and history. university of California. I agree-- multiple PhDs needed to sort through this mess! I laugh and cry-- daily.
These vipers cannot sink too low. Just when we think we have hit bottom, they come up with yet another way to further degrade our country, its reputation, and our hard working, devoted civil servants. All of these cut-throat, Machiavellian shenanigans are heartless, and heartbreaking. I hope someone somewhere delays this process just enough to allow McCabe to retire with full honors and enumeration. He deserves no less.
That said, he must be eternally thankful that he is out of the stinky swamp and can move on to serving somewhere more deserving of his talents and dedication.
26
It is clear that if Sessions does not fire McCabe, Trump will fire Sessions. That’s how dictators work. He wants ONLY sycophants and extremist yes people that have the Trump world view. His motivation for this push now is the threats to his “power” that still exist from certain people who he deems disloyal: colleagues pleading guilty in the Russian investigation, Jared Kushner losing the highest security clearance and background business and political communication with Russians and others, and Republican voters in red and swing states who are voting against some candidates clinging to his coattails.
Trump thinks he can control this country with fascist and racist ways; however, just as students across the country today used civil disobedience to support their fellow students massacred in Florida and elsewhere and to protest the lack of progress gun legislation to keep them safe, the American people have recognized tyranny since the Revolution.
Ultimately, Trump is trying to stay in power and rule the ballot box with Putin’s help. Whether or not collusion took place during the 2016 election, it is taking place NOW with Trump still denying Russian’s attempts to influence our elections. Bottom line: Trump is using Russia’s unlawful crimes against our democratic republic to protect his own ability to stay in power and promote his dictatorial agenda. Still, our midterm elections give us our most vital action for civil disobedience against this terrible threat. Vote!
176
I didn't think things could get much worse. Now, we have Trump in full Roy Cohn mode. He'll swing at anyone who isn't "loyal".
Please make sure you have registered to vote in the upcoming primaries & November mid-terms.
38
Fire a guy a few says before his retirement? Sounds like what a punitive egomaniac I'll suited to his job would do. Good thing we didn't elect one of those...Oh wait.
22
If the administation can just refrain from this mean-spirited attack and let McCabe retire.....think of the money saved for taxpayers by not having to change all the signs, stationery, business cards, etc., to Depatment of InJustice.
9
It appears that Trump & Co are not only incompetent and hypocritical but cruel, as well. Beyond sad!
25
The latest shameful chapter in the career of this malignant ruler. Why can’t his cult members see that he is driven by lust, ego, spite and little else?
23
Give the devil his due. To see malignancy is not to refuse its benefit. Since is golden in their eyes. If he delivers to the cult, the cult delivers itself to him.
They eventually will, but it may be too late.
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!
The Secret Service just escorted the President's "body man" out of the White House because they felt he had committed financial crimes. Mr. McEntee was one of the people serving in the White House without security clearance. No one in the Oval Office had an issue with this man being around sensitive materials / conversations for the last 18 months? Now, our vengeful President wants to rob Mr. McCabe of his retirement benefits. Be careful what you wish for Mr. President - Mr. Mueller would probably love to have Mr. McCabe join his team.
21
Interesting, perhaps the FBI was trying to apprehend a criminal.
5
The biggest mistake Trump has made since beng elected President is not firing theae unelected political cretins from day one. He naiively assumed they would fall in line when he took the reigns of the ship of state. The FBI needed a house cleaning after letting Hillary walk for felonious conduct, creatng two systems of justice...one for the elites and one for everyone else.
7
How frightening your comment is. I now understand how dictators come to power.
2
He can’t fire McCabe; Sessions would have to. Trump did fire Comey though. How did that go?
2
What will Sessions
do if he is
told to fire
Andrew McCabe?
A quote from
Martin Niemoller (1946):
“First they came for the
socialists, and I did not
speak out because I was
not a socialist.
Then they came for the
trade unionists,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a
trade unionist.
Then they came out for the Jews,
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left
to speak for me.”
21
Good reminder!
The reason so many of the comments are from people who are in utter disbelief that he is being fired is because the media has being dishonest with them by giving only the most benign facts. Wait for the IG report. He will be lucky if he is not prosecuted. Get your news from more than one point of view that keeps you in a bubble and sift through it all for the truth. Regardless of your views, you are accepting half-truths if you don't read and watch multiple news sources with different views before making a judgement.
9
and your facts and news viewing sources that support your opinion are...?
2
"News" is not for different views. That is left for editorials. Facts are facts and we should not be jumping around getting alternative facts.
1
Wait for it!! Just like that underwhelming Memo.
1
This is just despicable, mean spirited and uncalled for. Not surprising behavior from Trump or Sessions though.
16
No deputy director in the history of the F.B.I. has been fired.
Opps. Well this one should be, remember Dr Seuss taught us you have to be odd to be #1 and this guy cdertainly fills that description it. Was it a coincidence that his wife was a Democratic candidate running for public office, and she received a half million bucks from a Clinton loyalist for her campaign.
There is a lot of stink left over from the Clinton campaign, this guy was awful close to the stink. We are not blind to these transgressions, and I do not believe in coincidences like this.
FIRE McCabe, set an example.
8
News flash! Women are empowered to lead full and independent civic lives. Some run for office, both D's and R's. That takes money; supporters give it. Read all about it, folks!
1
Let's see, the common denominator to all this garbage happens to be Trump. It would save us a lot of time and grief to just Fire Him.
19
It's been reported that an FBI gent hearing about Comey's firing, said of Trump, "He will die in jail." May it be so for him and the rest of the sewer denizens in his family and executive branch. Oh, and let's not forget Nunes and the other Republican collaborators on the committee he "leads."
19
Truly unbelievable. The petty, small-mindedness and complete lack of integrity that exemplifies everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, that supports this president (little p because he doesn't deserve the respect normally given to this office), is beyond appalling - it's downright dangerous and antithetical to everything our Founding Fathers designed our Democracy to be. Hurry up Mueller!
19
Of course that weasel Sessions would deprive the guy of his retirement. Trump must be impeached because his administration is a disgrace and a threat to the USA. He should be impeached on his failure to act in the best interests of the USA on so many fronts. He is a disgrace to the country and should be impeached immediately.
12
Trump and his ilk shame us all, even those who think the opposite.
9
Another bloodless coup as power is consolidated and stooges installed in key offices. This is shameful.
16
All under the watches eye of a not-so Grand Old Party.
1
This is the sickening reality show that the Trump-voting bozos have inflicted on this country. Firing a person just days before they retire is despicable and childish, just like The Donald.
Karma is going to hold a mirror up to Sessions, Trump, and all those who serve this con-artist-in-chief.
Stormy weather ahead for this administration.
20
Someone said that if and when Trump is impeached, he shouldn't be pardoned. If that happens, he'll never resign and will have to be convicted and thrown out of office. But Pence will most definitely pardon him. Either way, Trump will never shut up. When he's gone I don't want to look at his face or hear his voice or read his ridiculous tweets that will keep coming until he's in his prison death bed. Unfortunately, my wishes mean nothing.
6
If Mr Sessions is playing a game with law enforcement many more heads than than Mr McCabe's may be on the block. The last thing we the people need is less order in our law.
I do not understand how even a small percentage of our citizenry can overlook what is going on with this administration. They less than skilled at theft and are cutting off law enforcement at the knees in their effort to weaken investigation.
The rub is, thanks to the influence of essentially unlimited "contributions", they are being led by that golden chain to sow discord. This gives more than the appearance of lining their pockets and fluffing the pillow of the man who sleeps in the White House, but no one sees when their eyes are closed.
I'd like to say we have a bunch of idiots among us who are running this show, but find it difficult to give them that much credit
While there is some consolation in the fact that high school students now appear to be a growing line of defense against the predators who stroll the halls of Congress, it will be another couple of years before most of them have an impact at the polls.
I trust we last that long.
7
What a disgusting thing to do to someone who has put 21 or 22 years in service, and has 4 days left. So if they want to fire him, let it be effective AFTER the four days are over. That way he will be able to keep his pension, etc.
Just another example of the total disgusting nature and personality of Donald Trump, etc.
15
Shall we interfere with Donald Trump/David Dennison's pension for lying about
Stormy Daniels ( or _______________ please fill in the blank with your favorite Trump lie, there are so many from which to choose)?
9
"not forthcoming" - he lied - fire him -
6
The great thing about this administration is that when you fill out your job forms one of them is a pink slip, so you're good from start to finish.
3
Firing someone a day before he retires? LOWER THAN LOW!!!
21
Why are reporters being so systematically WRONG about one fact?
His pension is NOT in jeopardy! He's a FERS employee with 21 years in. Being law enforcement, he can retire TODAY - whether he gets fired for cause or not.
PLEASE stop saying his pension is in jeopardy and there is some stupid "race" going on between his declared retirement day and his being fired.
Federal law GUARANTEES his pension regardless.
7
The FBI itself is recommending that McCabe be fired. Fire him & stop blaming Trump & Sessions.
10
The FBI itself...or Trump stooges? Hmmm.
13
The FBI during that election just smells rotten. They clearly tried to counter Russia with their own meddling and attempted to alter (and probably did ) the election. They should be fired and prosecuted.
8
Counter Russia by trashing Hillary a day or two election? The Comey letter cost her the election.
8
Just draining the swamp, draining the swamp.
3
When it comes to pass that the GOP members of Congress have covered for and thus committed treason like their Manchurian candidate president, the U.S. taxpayer better not be subsidizing those traitors' pensions and health care.
13
This is the most petty thing this so called President could do. I abhor him. He disgusts me.
24
You and many many millions more. Billions if you include outside countries. He’s probably the most despised person alive.
14
LEAVE THE GUY ALONE!
13
DJT thinks he's still trying to cheat the union workers out of pay.
3
Liars Trump and Sessions are accusing McCabe of not being forthcoming? Really? Is this some sort of joke?
23
It's crazy that McCabe can be fired for not being forthcoming while the president lies his face off without consequences. It's not true "H" gave anyone $700,000. Unreal that our standards for honor have fallen so far, so quickly.
17
This is what happens whenever the republicans cheat their way into power. It’s like cockroaches overrunning a kitchen.
9
Trump will be led from the White House in handcuffs. The day is coming.
10
So like everybody in the White House now walks around wearing their coats, just in case.
10
LOL!!!
To all that are blaming trump this is NOT coming from Trump but from the FBI disciplinary office read the article
4
Lack of candor is a nice way of saying he lied to the justice department. We do expect integrety from tge FBI leadership. I smell biased reporting.
5
Noting that McCabe is a longtime Republican with the notion being that a Republican would not do anything against Trump is nonsense. John McCain is a longtime Republican. So is Mitt Romney and both have and would do anything in their power to hurt Trump. McCabe may be a longtime Republican, but his wife is a Democrat who ran for office. What a silly piece this is. McCabe should be fired. Now. And, when the Horowitz report comes out that will be the end of all the nonsense about collusion and Russia. It will also show that the FBI and DOJ colluded under direct Obama administration direction to pay for the Steele dossier and foment the story of Trump Russia collusion. I will watch with interest how the Times and its writers try to spin the Horowitz report. Horowitz was an Obama appointee and is totally independent. Good luck boys and girls.
2
Romney would have done nothing in his power to hurt Trump. He's blowing Trump kisses for giving his endorsement to run for Senate in Utah.
Not only are you the one spinning yarns right out of the troll factories, you're actually taking delight at someone losing their pension after a dedicated career serving their country. Nasty stuff.
The great news is that if Trump fires McCabe, McCabe will be so angry that he will (hopefully) write a tell-all book about Trumb and his deceitful White House thus, McCabe will make much more money off of his book than he wd from his pension!
Do it Trump and see how much anger and hatred there is for you in book business where people of good-will and intelligence abide!!!
2
Liar and leaker equals no taxpayer funded lifestyle retirement
3
Retaliation......
2
Trump is consolidating his dictatorship
5
DJT fires someone for lying?!
11
Come on. Sessions is getting threatened with firings himself every day. Don't tell me he's such a jerk he's gonna knock out McCabe for decades of service and nuke his pension.
6
The FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility has recommended McCabe be fired....
AGAIN THE FBI RECOMMENDED HE BE FIRED....
4
Ah, the American version of a Stalinist purge. Trump is so predictable, so petty and so vindictive. His dirty tricks will get him eventually.
7
Sessions has perjured himself repeatedly in testimony before Congress. You can't make this ---- up. Trump is treason.
9
Go ahead, Donald, as a hip shooter, take your best shot. The NRA has your back.
4
"Lack of candor is a fireable offense"... I think you mean "Lack of candor is NOT fireable offense."
4
A must fire: Another Comey mutant deep in the Lynch-Comey-DNC-Hillary "matter".
FBI seems as good as it was under Hoover. How lucky the citizens are for such honorable and righteous agents policing and protecting our rights. Right.
3
Aren’t these the same ones that bombed Hillary at the last minute? Inconvenient I know.
2
Trump's purges are a slow motion coup d'etat for the benefit of his boss Vlad.
One feels so helpless.
13
He needs to be tried and sentenced to prison.
4
Trump will in fact be imprisoned for treason. Maybe pal Vladimir can help him flee to Russia, his true homeland.
5
who? Trump?
1
Trump has been attacking lifelong Republicans like McCabe, Comey, Mueler, etc.
Why? Trump is lawless, and regards those who are hard to corrupt as evil obstacles to his desire to "grab 'em".
But in this instance, there are two additional strikes:
1. McCabe has a wife who is a Democrat.
2. McCabe is one of the three senior FBI officials who Comey spoke to just after Trump cleared the room to demand Flynn be let off. Trump and his fellow stooges have been systematically attacking these three--driving all of them out of the FBI.
The fact that the alleged offense by McCabe was that he was working to hurt Hillary in the FBI investigation of the Clinton Foundation should let everyone know that Trump is just being his evil self.
6
He [Trump] just doesn't disappoint. Whenever you think he won't stoop to the lowest level he floats an idea among his buddies and watches the front page stories proliferate. What a piece of work! Contrast him to a man who has worked as a civil servant, rising through the ranks to the top levels. His record against Mr. T...no contest.
7
This is just another example of a small, petty, mean spirit from our Commander-in-Chief that makes me wonder...really?
This is what our administration is interested in pursuing? How about the people 'working' in the White House - with temporary security clearances who weren't barely in elementary school when Mr. McCabe was already serving in the FBI?
7
Let's be clear just because Mr McCabe claims to be a life long Republican voter - does not immune him from playing mischief against this POTUS.
What is astonishing that the so called Hatch Act is not mentioned.
It's an incredible scenario that a wife of one of the high ranking government official - and that too FBI - runs for a political office, gets a known contribution from a declared opponent of this POTUS - and yet, this man can claim he did no political work.
I am no lawyer.
But this act alone should require his firing under Hatch.
I have also never worked in government.
But I understand that high ranking officials like Mr McCabe - belong to a special federal pay structure - similar to a private company, where they get bonuses etc.
So, they are treated very differently than a typical so called career employee, they are more like corporate executives.
Why does the Congress not give a POTUS some powers over these executives - like a CEO has at companies.
These government executives who can play the most mischief - then claim immunity. Not sure, if this passes the smell test.
If what the Inspector General says about Mr McCabe is true, the AG has no option but to fire him. And then hope, his firing will be upheld.
2
I know what I say here doesn't matter much. But #EvilDJTrump has got to go. He is tearing apart the fabric of the national scene by his ties with the deep pockets of money laundering the world over, his schemes only benefit him and his actions are tarnishing the office of the POTUS.
Out already.
5
Why is the lede his punishment instead of his offenses? this career civil servant was found by a non partisan body of fellow FBI officers to have to have interfered twice in process related to elections -- and lied about it as well.
I'm an independent who loves the NYT since I delivered it as a kid and since I worked as a researcher in one of their bureaus in S. America for two years. I've got plenty of objections to Trump but this story would be totally different if Hillary had won. The headline and lede would start with his offenses and every sober non partisan knows it.
4
My god you have elected a viscous, vindictive and cruel man to power. Those gleefully enjoying the nastiness should be careful. Trump continually shows himself to cruel as well as cynical. He has no about abusing his power or going after those who are relatively powerless once he decides its to his advantage. What makes you think that you and yours will remain safe if he decides on a whim to destroy your life, terminate your career, bully you from the pulpit and set his Twitter minions on you. This man will at some point get someone in the media (at least)?killed with his unhinged rants, singling people out for no more than doing the job they were asked to serve in (like say, Mueller who didn’t ask for the job but agreed to serve). When a president is prepared to single out citizens then no-one is safe. What makes you think that doing your job as required by law, constitution or democratic norms is anyway to stay safe? Just look at Sessions. Required by justice dept rules to recuse himself he has fallen under Trumps temper every time he does what those rules require the top law enforcement officer to do.
You’ve elected a vindictive and cruel child. Just the type of person to withhold power from- instead you have handed him all the power in the world.
14
Well, they've handed Putin all the power in the world but I take your point.
We'll just have to add his name to the list of martyrs and saints right alongside Sally Yates and James Comey and light a little candle for him. Maybe Hillary could even take up a collection for him, or better yet donate some of her and Bill's speaking fees for the cause. But that's what happens when you bet on the wrong horse. As the poet Burns once observed, "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."
2
Trump the vindictive, ill informed seating at the most powerful office in the world. Pensions are well deserved for people working their entire productive life.
10
Lack of candor under oath? - that describes Sessions perfectly!
2
Trump's Revenge...why
“Narcissistic Rage” (NR), is a term coined in 1972 by Heinz Kohut…one of the classic behaviors of the narcissist. Most narcissistic victims have experienced serious outbursts of NR which can include violent physical attacks, hysteria, screaming and verbal or emotional abuse.
NR covers a wide range of behaviors from aloofness or mild irritability to serious, physically violent attacks. A narcissist often makes unrealistic demands on those closest to them. The narcissist has a fragile ego that cannot stand to ever be wrong or viewed as imperfect, therefore the narcissist responds with feelings of rage and contempt toward the challenger. When challenged or slighted in the least, the narcissist perceives these as outright attacks on him and reacts with rage toward that person in order to regain feelings of superiority and assuage his self-esteem…They are explosive, volatile outbursts which may be verbal, physical, or both. NR can also be related to narcissists’ need for total control of their environment, including “the need for revenge, for righting a wrong, for undoing a hurt by whatever means”. The fuming rage impairs their cognition, therefore impairing their judgment. During the rage they are prone to shouting, fact distortion and making groundless accusations.
6
Retribution again. Whether by use of the Espionage Act or revocation of a well earned pension, silencing and denigrating people with a conscience and true patriots.
Tennessee Williams: "There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity... You can smell it. It smells like death."
3
What a mess
His book deal will make is pension look like peanuts.
2
It is despicable to fire McCabe or anyone a few days before his retirement so as to deprive him of his pension.
2
We, the citizens, do not need career civil servants who are "not forthcoming" when interviewed by the Inspector General. And we certainly don't need to keep those who lie to obtain FISA warrents!
1
This is the same kind of sadism that has Trump salivating at the idea of installing a pro-torture, pro-coverup CIA director. These are not good or kind people and we are all degraded by their tenure.
2
give me a break. it's very probable that mccabe is a dirty cop and should be fired but it's not necessary that his pension should be messed with unless there's a clear pattern of him profiting financially in some way from nefarious deeds.
sessions can fire him and leave the pension intact for something like allowing agents to speak with reporters about an investigation into the clinton foundation.
he's surely going to sue them if they take such draconian action.
Another episode of the Reality Show of The Trump Presidency. Billionaires don’t care (1) Governance structure of Democracy or (2) Small guys with small take home income. The small guys to the Billionaires are just pawns for the Billionaires.
This is a very very low period of American democracy inflicted upon and by American voters themselves (by the way, so many of them must be enjoying watching the Trump Reality Show destroying institutions for the democracy: the same joy of hooligans we used to despise. )
1
Lil' Jeffy and Don the Con show again just how small, peevish, and vicious they are. If they were smart, they'd lie low and let him go and pay off that pension and every other obligation he has earned. If they do fire him just days before he departs, they have no one but themselves to blame for the book, the TV interviews, op-eds, maybe even a movie that'll come down the road.
McCabe is the poster child for corruption at the FBI. He should lose his government funded pension. He needs to be put under oath and asked about his insurance policy plan he hatched to usurp the election of Donald Trump. McCabe is as low as they come. He must be fired yesterday.
2
If McCabe is fired just before his retirement just because Trump is vindictive and malicious, is there any recourse? Normal employers don't do that.
1
Firing Mr. McCabe would be a dirty political act. If he has done something for which he should be prosecuted, then prosecute him. But to fire a man days before his retirement and thereby jeopardize his pension is unworthy of a national Attorney General. On the other hand, it would be right in line with Mr. Trump's firing of Rex Tillerson by tweet. This administration has no sense of civility.
3
Typical classy move on Trump's part, to fire a guy days away from his retirement - after subjecting him to humiliation and harassment for months. I guess this he sees this as "punching back" for McCabe's crime of .... being married to a Democrat? Are we really going to let him take partisanship this far?
4
Shameful and incredibly retaliatory actions at play. Clearly under the Trump Dictatorship will take action against any and all comments to justify a Public Hanging.
Rex Tillerson was right on calling Trump what he didn’t call him ....
Makes me want to return to the island of my birth, where there is no pretending what it is, a Communist Ideology, 90 miles away from Key West, you know, the island nation that has given the world so much culture, Cuba.
Viva la revolución!
We the People need to wake up from this state of mind and take back what is ours, and not what they think it needs to be.
Firing Mr. McCabe, 5 days before end of his official 21 years of honorable FBI service adds another nail into President Trump's pattern of behavior. President Trump continues with smear campaigns, threats, lies, bullying, intimidation, flip flopping statements, and firing those who do not swear loyalty to him. It looks like and smells like he is trying of obstruct justice by getting rid of all who are gathering intelligence and evidence against him. His behavior, vengeful and vindictive, does not bring honor to the Office of the President in behavior to all those who do not swear allegiance to President. Firing Mr. McCabe, before the full report is issued, deprives Mr. McCabe of his right to due process under the Constitution and deprives him of his 21 year retirement pension. This bullying tactic is designed to garner pledges of loyalty to the President instead of their sworn allegiance to the US Constitution and the American public. What is Mr. Trump hiding from the American public?
7
“Mr. McCabe is a career agent, not a political appointee, so Mr. Trump has no direct say in his fate. “
As ever, burying the lede.
1
This is fast becoming a tin pot dictatorship. No less.
If McCabe is fired, all civil servants should rise up in protest. Nobody should be fired for doing his job, that too by the likes of people such as Sessions and Trump.
I doubt McCabe's retirement/pension will be affected. Just because Sessions decides to fire a civil servant today or tomorrow doesn't mean it takes effect before McCabe's retirement date. Paperwork takes time to deal with administratively. For federal law enforcement agents 20 years is generally enough. With accumulated leave, etc he should meet the minimum requirements to retire. Failing that if he is "fired" the system takes its time to process it. And he can contest it - Wapo reporters need to do a better job on reporting re civilians and personnel management. It is not as easy and clear cut as the headlines make it. Federal employees know this, don't expect the average American to know - apparently the Wapo doesn't.
3
Quoting a line in an
Alice Munro story
I read for a class:
"Never underestimate
the meanness there is
in people's souls."
I feel shame
for our country.
6
Dismissal at 5:00pm sharp Friday evening would be appropriate, send a message to errant government employees everywhere and save the taxpayer the cost of the absurdity of paying people NOT to work (what the left calls retirement).
Wonder why Sessions is letting McCabe dangle for the next 48 hrs? Sessions is hardly in a position to discipline an underling for failing to be forthcoming. Or does this reg not apply to Senate confirmation hearings? Is there a difference between failure to be forthcoming and lying to Congress? Would Sessions be considered AG designate during hearings, or a US Senator when he lied under oath repeatedly during confirmation hearings? Just asking
3
This is the reason Trump calls the NY Times out. Here is a guy that a full independent review is found to have acted improperly in several incidents surrounding the 2016 election. Not 1 or 2 but several. And because Trump (rightly) called him out on it, he becomes a sympathetic figure. This goes to his allegiances to the Clinton's in return for money. If the NRA is problematic for giving politicians money, how does it become ok to buy off deputy fbi directors? Nope- the NY Times needs to distinguish right from wrong, not right from left, and here they once again purseude the readers that Trump is wrong and in this case McCabe is a victim. Completely the opposite.
5
I am honestly lost on the merits of the case again Mr. McCabe. But, seriously, enough is enough. To fire this man, a few days before his retirement, after 21 years of civil service is downright wrong.
5
Sessions will also be soon shown to the EXIT...
1
Can’t happen soon enough. What a pathetic excuse for an unprejudiced, honest, or empathetic person. And that had been true for 15-20 years or more, so can’t blame his behaviors and outbursts solely on Trump.
I think Trump's birther background should have been a very strong clue that Donald Trump is unsuited to be the POTUS. Now because of Russian meddling we don't really know who won the election.
I think firing Andrew McCabe without any kind of recourse is just plain wrong. It shows how mean, small and spiteful some people can be.
2
'when agents are found to have shown a lack of candor under oath, they are commonly fired.'
This is the finding of an independent investigation, not a Trumpian tweet. Why should he be treated differently because he is up for a pension? The rules should apply to all, equally and without regard to personal circumstances like his retirement. If he lied or obfuscated the truth under oath, can him and let it be a lesson to every agent who considers similar behavior.
The rule of law doesn't have an expiration date.
2
I believe this is a distraction to clog up the media and smoke over the Dem win in Pennsylvania. Btw, if an employer is proven in a court of law to have terminated an employee strictly in order to prevent their achieving full retirement status, this would be a violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
5
Could this administration get any more low-handed and vindictive? No need to answer that.
2
Mr. McCabe may very well have issues with conflicts of interest. However, given that Mr. Trump feels he is not subject to such concerns, I cannot see any possible justification to discipline the underlings for behavior that the boss is not held to account for. If the electorate deems unethical, immoral and improper behavior acceptable from its President, than that is the country we all richly deserve.
1
Andrew McCabe was in my law school class at Washington University. There were more than 220 of us. He wasn't in my circle and I don't have any vivid recollections of him, but I must have been in several classes with him. What I do remember is that he was thoughtful, quiet, well-liked, and respected. I cannot fathom that he could have done anything intentionally improper. Since he came to the attention of the press after the firing of James Comey, he has impressed me as a straight arrow. The fact that Trump has targeted him makes my blood run cold. It must be nightmarish for him and his wife and family to be so vilified, when they have devoted their lives to public service. I hope they have good friends and allies who will help them weather this episode and come out on the other side with their dignity and reputations intact.
10
If Mr. McCabe made false statements to representatives of the Government during the internal review, he can be prosecuted for violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001, the same provision that Special Counsel Mueller has used to obtain guilty pleas of several individuals. FBI officials should be held to standards at least as high as are applied to ordinary citizens. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
1
couldn't he sue for wrongful or punitive termination?
Not if it isn’t wrongful....
1
The gazillions of independent contractors who do the dirty work of keeping the bureaucracy going without pensions or other benefits are just crying their eyes out over this.
Sessions recently dined in public with Rod Rosenstein (and the next-in-line under Rosenstein.) It was supposedly a show of solidarity by top members of The Justice Department should the Stable Genius try to fire anyone (especially the Special Counsel.)
Hopefully this is a warning to Trump from Sessions that he's not going to be pushed around anymore. That would include an order to fire McCabe as an act of personal vengeance.
Perhaps Mr. Sessions will show himself to have a tad more integrity in this matter than Trump. But I'm not holding my breath.
if politicians had the courage to do what is right and just we would all benefit i.e. he should not be fired if he agrees to be fined a significant amount
I feel so terrible to see a purge threatened, to know how much fear this must be inspiring (and thus a big exodus among the rank and file-- why not leave gov't now and then get rehired as a contractor, except then you might have to pass a dictator loyalty test). I vote, I call my senators, and we have 9 1/2 months to go (if. .other voters are motivated to go to the polls and can somehow overwhelm voter suppression, gerrymandering, Russian compromise of the vote, etc.). This one makes me feel just awful.
Come on, NYT, Federal pension rules are a matter of public record. Find out the rules and then say what impact getting fired would have.
1
Even if he's fired tomorrow, he's still entitled to 30 days notice before the firing is effective. He can still retire on Sunday and the firing would be moot and his pension wd not be affected.
Workers in Law Enforcement positions are able to retire at age 50 with 20 years of service under the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS). The FERS formula for annuity is 1.7% times average annual high three salary times years of service (20 or 21). All employee contributions into the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) along with all Government match (not exceeding 5% total match) is vested fully to the retiree. https://ask.fedweek.com/federal-retirement/retirement-eligibility/
McCabe should be fired and his pension should be stopped until after it is decided if he should be prosecuted.
1
Trump is trying to intimidate people who criticize or investigate him. He's trying to make Mr. McCabe and example." You too will lose your pension if you don't do what I want you to do", this is saying. If this is successful, I hope a court will strike it down.
8
When and if we take back the WH, House and Senate I hope that turnabout will be seen as necessary including 1) repair the injury done to civil servants by this administration; 2) head hunt republican political appointees out of civil service positions; 3) nullify contracts and energy leases made by republican political appointees; 4) return wilderness areas to their former boundaries; and, 5) investigate former republican congressmen, senators, and political appointees for any alleged misconduct or conduct judged not to be in the national interest such as Nunes dealings with the Azores.
9
What I don't get is this: If McCabe is fired and sues for wrongful termination, who pays? McCabe will probably win. Trump will not pay for any damages, and the tax payers pick up the tab, for something that was done out of spite.
2
Wouldn't McCabe be protected by the rules of the Civil Service, as he is not a political appointee?
1
FBI agents are in the Excepted Service and don't have all the procedural protections of the regular civil service. On the flip side, Excepted Service employees who are wronged are eligible to proceed directly to action in Federal Court without the purgatory of progressing through the MSPB and OSC. In my travels, I met a former FBI agent who separated in a quasi mutual agreement for personal conduct that was considered deviant several decades ago but is kind of a yawn these days. He was plucking the Bureau like a money tree in Federal Court because they vindictively ratted out his personal foibles to his new private employer without any justification, resulting in his firing. He was represented by the FBI Agents Association which he belonged to before leaving.
This is why we need stronger civil service protections. A good anti-corruption agenda could do wonders to strengthen our republic, if we can keep it.
Will Mueller add tampering with a witness to the charges?
2
It does seem that no matter what an "executive" does or fails to do, they walk with the money. Let a production worker fail to do his/her job, and see what they get.
1
He did his job. Being an executive has nothing to do with it. Nobody should ever lose their pension after a lifetime of service.
1
David,
What does this mean: "not forthcoming" from an FBI agent? What would the FBI do to a citizen who was not forthcoming? Definition of the word: "frank and cooperative; candid".
"The Justice Department’s inspector general concluded that Mr. McCabe was not forthcoming during the review....".
We, the citizens need career civil servants, in State, CIA, FBI, National Parks, GSA - well, you name it.
Trump, and the republicans are doing everything possible to weaken this vital level of governance.
These people - actually are the checks and balances, against the ebbs and flows of any current administration.
These people - actually, often hold high ideals.
Putting aside the particulars of the McCabe situation - what is the point of pounding away, at our essential federal government.
Trump fills his cabinet with hacks, and then eviscerates the highly credentialed and dedicated federal staff.
The protections of the citizens, continues to erode.
145
If they're so idealistic, why can't they do their jobs without a union card in their pocket and the pension pot if gold on their horizon?
Career civil servants, the "bureaucrats" Americans love to denigrate. are what makes the government run. Without them, bozoamericanus will see just what he hath wrought. I'm glad I'm childless, so I won't have descendants cursing my name ... well, not really; I've only voted stupidly twice
: Nixon in '68, and Gingrich in '72.
1
Putin is proud.
At the rate of people being fired we will soon become a dictatorship. Unless Trump gets fealty from everyone serving in all of our agencies and those serving in The Administration there will continue to be more thinning of the troops in important positions.
If the Congress wasn’t elected they would also be on the way out.
Although I must say a lot of them would not be missed.
80
I am always amazed how uninformed the public is. Anybody curious enough about what happened at the FBI prior and after the 2016 election should be aware of this man's role.
We should learn more in a near future, by that I mean more details. But we already know he was part of a group that did everything to facilitate HRC election and tried to smear Trump.
All I see are hateful comments, no arguments based on facts.
Please do not underestimate the will of the people. These are historical times and Trump will continue to stoop to new lows. He is the motivator, the catalyst that are bringing people together to fight him and his hoodlums. the term politically correct is gone the gloves are off and democracy in action, the battle to stabilize ship, is glorious. United we win!
2
Is this Trump's plan to fix the "low morale" at the agency he was complaining so much about last year? Good luck with that.
31
This article lacks the necessary context of describing what might happen to McCabe's pension if he retires before he is vested with full benefits. Will he receive a reduced pension? Can he take his contributions out? Not well done to leave people wondering about significant facts. But aside from the financial issue, this is a shameful, spiteful and petty way to treat a career public servant. I long for the day when the Sexual Predator in Chief is hoist by his own petard.
115
According to http://askthelawyer.federaltimes.com/2015/03/17/resign-retire-or-be-fired/, the pensions earned by most federal employees are not affected by termination for cause (i.e., firing).
There are exceptions. The employee has to be convicted (not simply accused) of "a crime against the national security of the United States. The crimes are enumerated at 5 USC section 8312. Here’s a smattering of the crimes enumerated: gathering or delivering defense information to aid a foreign government; harboring or concealing the enemy; disclosure of classified information; espionage; sabotage against the U.S.; treason, rebellion or insurrection; seditious conspiracy; advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government; activities to harm the U.S. armed forces during war."
It seems unlikely that McCabe could even be accused of any of these crimes, much less convicted--- unless they believe he's leaked classified info. Even then, to go after him would require decisions sharply inconsistent with how the Trump administration regularly mishandles classified info. Unfortunately, it appears we won't even know what charges have been leveled at McCabe until the IG report is released sometime later this spring.
1
Other news organizations have reported that being fired would have an adverse effect on his pension. That would contradict other information that I am reading on the internet that says, generally speaking, a federal employee is entitled to any pension benefit accrued prior to the firing. Since his resignation is scheduled to become effective on Sunday, that should be an insignificant time amount. I, like you, am curious as to the actual state of affairs.
He's fully vested. That's not the issue. If they fire him they will try to keep him from receiving any of it.
h than our own compatriots, notwithstanding the president's false ranting about their alleged criminality.
5
The only question I have is: Why hasn't he already been fired? This will only go a small distance to repairing the reputation of an agency that he helped sully, but it's a start. Allowing misconduct like his to go unredressed would be the worst outcome.
19
He hasn't been fired because he hasn't done anything wrong. That's the way it's worked in the U.S. government so far. Why do you want to change that?
1
Why is Jared Kishner and Ivank still working at the WH without security clearance?
There isn't anyone, other than Trump, who is as vindictive as Sessions.
37
Elections have consequences. He should have voted for the sane woman and he would have kept his pension.
24
If and when Trump gets impeached, the law makers should remember the vindictive actions taken by coward POTUS.
Nixon was pardoned; Trump shouldn't be.
76
If Trumo ever goes down there are plenty in the GOP who will remember his insults during the primaries and afterwards. I am sure Cruz and others will bury him as soon as he is out of power and can no longer be of benefit to them.
1
President True cannot be impeached just because you don't like him. More and more reports are now showing the only collusion was with Team Hilary and the DNC.
Didn't Session recuse himself from the investigation into the election? Wouldn't his decision on McCabe be illegal? Oh, wait ... is Sessions using the firing of McCabe as a way to mollify Trump's anger? Hmmm .. there are quite a few lessons from history on how foolish a strategy it is to make an immoral decision to satisfy a bully.
45
"a decision that would jeopardize his pension as a 21-year F.B.I. veteran." What is the evidence he will lose his pension? He should be covered under the FERS retirement system, and unless convicted of certain crimes, he should not lose his retirement annuity (it's not a pension). Please, NYT reporters, get a handle on the federal disciplinary system as well as the various retirement systems.
26
Jen, the "reporters" probably already know the federal disciplinary system. They are hoping that their readers don't. It's no longer about being accurate, it's about narrative.
Jen as a retired Fed you are incorrect. There are two parts to government retirement - a TSP account which is basically a 401K and a retirement pension. He is vested in his TSP account and the government cannot touch that. His pension is the other part and that includes medical in retirement and that is what DOJ is trying to remove. So Jen, the NY Times was not incorrect- you were. If you had checked what Fed retirement entails on the public website you would have clearly saw you were wrong- so do your research before you respond!
Trust me Diane, I read federal statutes and regulations for a living, have litigated federal personnel cases at the MSPB, and I know what I am talking about. Do your research and read 5 USC 8311- the only reason a fed's defined retirement benefits can be taken away.
Who is Mr. McCabe’s direct superior that is tasked to do the firing? Is this a setup to fire Rosenstien?
9
Trump is of low character and he proves it daily.
70
No point in having power unless you punish enemies with it.
Not if you're a Republican, that is.
46
It's tbe IG who is neither honest nor forthcoming! And what check and balances are there for an out of control IG with an an inappropriate, ideological, personal and/or dishonest agenda. IGs in Federal agencies may have seemed like a good idea at the time but increasingly in so many Federal agencies, the IG is either engaged in wrongful behavior and/or investigating lawful, mission-based and oriented behavior while ignoring the opposite. I haven't considered most IGs to be neutral arbiters for some time now. Who's watching the watcher?
7
Trump lives his life in a moral gutter, and as long as he remains President we will reside there with him.
69
If fired, which would be just plain malicious in order to deprive him of his pension, they would create a very, very powerful enemy. He would have to sign a $10,000,000 book deal to regain his honor.
40
I am worried about the Russia probe if, once Sessions fires McCabe, Trump then fires Sessions. The new AG would not be recused from the Russia probe and could find endless ways to thwart Mueller.
23
Hatred of Trump clouds the judgment of many. Mr. McCabe may have engaged in unethical behavior. The circumstantial evidence is strong, and the IG report may contain more direct evidence. Mr. McCabe's wife took money in a suspect situation. Mr. McCabe probably made material mistatements (i.e., lied) about FISA warrant applications. If true, Mr. McCabe's employment should be terminated. A pension is not earned when it is realized after lying, especially by a criminal justice professional.
Let's not forget that the FBI determined the Mrs. Clinton was negligent in handling classified information but never revoked her security clearance. Anyone else would have (faced charges and) immediately faced a revocation for the derogatory information (that's a term of art for the unfamiliar). Criminality aside, Mrs. Clinton's clearance should have been yanked immediately. Mrs. Clinton's aides received immunity deals while LTG (R) Flynn was trapped by the same FBI. The two sides were not treated evenly, and Mr. McCabe was in the middle of it all.
Due process demands equal treatment.
16
McCabe's wife was running for office. There is exactly zero evidence that she took any money that was related to him being in the FBI and he did not get his promotion until AFTER his wife lost her political race.
And nothing else you said was remotely true.
87
I don't believe anyone that worked in the Department of State would have faced charges immediately, would they? Because the Department of State handles information much differently than the Department of Defense, since its purpose is far different. In addition, leadership in every department does have more latitude than underlings, because leadership is supposed to be able to use some discretionary judgement to decide what is reasonable when handling information in terms of getting their job done. In fact that's why top leadership (such as Hillary) has authority to declassify information at will. What gets an underling fired is much different than what gets the team leader fired, correct? As an example, if an employee gives others access to pay records at work, that's different than the boss giving others access to pay records. Hillary giving out her private schedule is different than anyone below her giving out her private schedule.
1
And so how does one explain Jared and Ivanka viewing information that may have been classified without only provisional security clearances? Oh wait, Daddy said it was OK.
Even if every malfeasance attributed to McCabe were true, there still would be no righteous party to root for here. But I'll always root for Trump less than the other guy -- any other guy. His juvenile tweets -- his incessant public airing of matters a respectful person would handle privately -- do not befit a president.
26
Conjecture: this is Sessions' way of placating his boss.
22
21 years out of law school. An entire life dedicated to one organization, to the country, only to have pension and benefits revoked less than a week before retirement? Yes, that would be the height of petty, vindictive, small, mean, immoral, and unChristian. But we already knew that about Trump, who, by the way, is everything Christ is not. Trump is, in fact, the anti-Christ.
Well, if Trump did that to me, I'd be thinking about a tell-all book to make up for the loss. Just saying....
88
Think of all the books coming soon to a store near you.
The entire Hilary Clinton-“investigation” was a farce, e.g., her exoneration letter drafted BEFORE she was questioned, she was not put under oath, etc. The Deep State, including Andrew McCabe, was simply ‘going through the motions, certain Mrs. Clinton would be the next POTUS and that the American people would never learn the level of corruption that exists at the highest levels of our bureaucracy.
19
The deep state conspiracies have no merit. The same type of language is used in countries like Turkey where democracy and institutions Are being attacked
Why do you keep harping on about Clinton not being under oath when speaking to the FBI? Given it is illegal to lie to the FBI it makes absolutely no difference. Just ask half of Trumps campaign staff.
If Clinton did something illegal then she should be tried. But that does not give Trump and his minions a pass on their own miss-deeds. In this constant protection of Trump you are all losing your sense of morality. Excusing behaviour that you recognise to be wrong when done by Clinton.
Nobody expected things to be this bad with Trump. It isn’t your fault that Trump has gone this far off the rails. But to continue to defend him is immoral and puts your democracy in peril. His character proves a danger to the world. To pretend you don’t see it doesn’t help protect that which is essential for a peaceful democracy and order.
1
FBI interrogations are almost never under oath because lying to the FBI is *already* a crime in itself.
It seems like McCabe is in this Russian collusion story up to his eyeballs. There is a reason why he is being fired. Maybe a phony reason for a FISA warrant to undermine the Trump presidency. With ties to the Clinton's being fired may not be his only problem. The AG's report is coming out soon and may shed light on what's really going on.
14
The sheer meanness of this administration is breathtaking in its scope.
40
Nothing is too petty or malicious that DT and his salacious and egregious band, of dis-functional walking cadavers to humiliate or ruin of those who get in the way Trump propaganda mill . Imagine the macabre pleasure of bringing Tillerson, to a quaking voice , once one of the most powerful men if the world, and now Andrew McCabe. Taking pensions away in the last hour has been mantra of business for Trump and his cabinet. But take comfort friends;' what goes around comes around' as is often said.In their world we are all APPRENTICES....
14
The sad truth about Trump is that he has never in his life self reflected, as he is guilty of all of the things he doesn't like in others, like lying, not being forthcoming, not following through, etc. Those that voted for him, were indifferent to the fact that he had no good character of any kind. Sad!!!
15
It's an oddity. "Elected" officials engage in virtually all manner of malfeasance, public and private, soldiers and generals possibly having committed war crimes, ne'er-do-wells all, and nary a care is given or significant sanction meted out. But a failure to be "forthcoming" can result in a lost pension after 20+ years of service. I have no particular regard for the FBI but this is patently absurd. Would that CEO(s) were subject to the same standard (which is how it should be) they and their ilk would be at the food bank with the rest of us mortals.
13
Both McCabe and Comey enabled the Trump presidency. I find it interesting that the GOP supported Comey's firing and are now pushing for McCabe's firing. This is a case of the Republicans eating their own. All this proves to me is that the FBI is deeply in bed with the Republican Party...this is the deep state Trump and his supporters like.
9
Regardless of whether Mr. McCabe did right or wrong, the idea of firing him just a few days before his retirement to deprive him of his pension seems beyond vindictive. Why the long wait? I guess there shouldn’t be a surprise when the new head of the cia is known for authorizing waterboarding a prisoner more than 80 times.
24
McCabe is a political hack posing as a nonpartisan career pro who got caught in his hackery. In no way should he be allowed to collect further taxpayer dollars, including a government pension. He should have been fired on the spot, and there's still a good chance that he'll do jail time.
11
Please share with us any evidence of McCabe being political or partisan.
What did he do that was wrong ?
Trump and Sessions and the GOP should be fired and then exiled from all politics. The man's wife ran for office and lost but because she ran as a Democrat Trump can't handle it? Meet the pettiest president alive: Donald Prima Donna Trump.
If I had just graduated from college and was interested in any position with the Federal Government this president and the GOP would have convinced me that the government isn't a worthwhile place to work. Not when the GOP doesn't like anything the government does unless it favors them. Not when the President fires people via Twitter or publicly humiliates them for no real reason.
We're going to see more people resign and that will leave the country less defended against precisely what Trump and the GOP have whined about: terrorism and crime. Too bad they don't realize that the real crime lies in how they are treating valuable public employees.
10
I know some very qualified people who have the same idea.
1
Oh man, this would be great. McCabe, if fired, would be relieved of a lot of his silence.
13
Here's some additional context on this issue the author does not provide:
In his position as Deputy Director, McCabe was aware that some FBI agents, mainly in the New York office were engaged in an apparently over zealous, and unsuccessful effort to find dirt on Hillary Clinton and the Clinton foundation. Justice Department superiors did not support the efforts. McCabe tried to walk a fine line and not come down on either side of the issue, especially as the election was in process and he did not want to exhibit a bias.
When it became apparent to him that the New York agents, possibly with a little assistance from Rudy Guiliani, were beginning to leak biased information that might influence the election, McCabe allowed some leaking in an effort to balance it...thus the Wall Street Journal article and the complaint to the Inspector General.
IMHO, what McCabe did was not that big a deal....he was trying very hard to be ethical and was trapped in an impossible situation.....And, this whole affair is just more obfuscation to divert attention and cast doubt on the Russia and Trump investigations.
39
That sounds reasonable. It also seems that it's an attempt to "prove" partisanship as a means of discrediting the FBI. The same type of thing occurred with the Comey firing.
The irony is that they both acted in ways that didn'y help Clinton.
1
The House Intelligence committee failed to interview key witnesses and failed to subpoena those who refused to answer key questions. Now the Inspector General of the FBI, waits for the last 4 days before McCabe's retirement before he recommends firing McCabe for approving an interview. Really, An interview?
The first sentence describes a white wash for Trump and the second sentence TORTURES McCabe. Approving an interview does not seem like grounds for firing but rather a move by Republicans for McCabe's failure to find wrong doing on Hilary and the Foundation.
Both of these actions are wrong just totally wrong.
8
There is not enough publically available information to make a judgment on the appropriateness of a possible McCabe dismissal. I had assumed, until reading this story, he would be allowed to retire with pension. However, if the Office of Professional Responsibility has recommended dismissal, it seems fair to assume there are some serious issues not yet known to the public.
10
With 20 years of service (Times reports 21 years), a for-cause termination can't effect a fully vested Federal pension/annuity. I could see him losing the extra 1 year credit but not his entitlement to a 20 year pension.
What am I missing?
2
You are missing the fact that, as an employee of the US government, you are expected to be honest and perform your job with integrity. Not just for the first 5 years of employment. Not just on Mondays, Wednesday’s and Fridays. Not just during the summer months. But, rather, all the time.
3
The issue could be: needing to reach a certain age in order to receive a full retirement benefit, calibrated to your years of service. Often public pensions have a threshold of 50, 55 or 60 in order to receive full benefits for your years of service. I suspect Andrew McCabe will turn 50 this coming Sunday, but I could not find his birth date online.
True, but the presumption of innocence until guilt if proven should still apply. And given the vicious vindictiveness of Trump and Sessions, that principle should be vigilantly guarded. In fact, one would think that Trump above all would like the presumption of innocence to remain a key element of American justice.
Does anyone else think the attack on his pension is a way for republicans to see what they can get away with and how they could possibly end everyone else's pension? Or am I just too much of a cynic with republican leaders?
7
Andrew McCable's firing would open up the possibility that President Donald Trump will go further into the 2016 election with blackmail and who he ran against Hillary Clinton. Now that he is President and Russia is being a major player with Special Council. President Trump will eventually say "Let's make a compromise" let the 2016 election and Russia investigation go or indict Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. What is not on the table is Trump's taxes. What is not being addressed is his Twitter access using that for policy decisions. We've got to amend the First Amendment to add social media. To make clear that social media is not just used for hacking by Russians and other countries but used as a tool to undermine Democracy in the United States by a sitting U.S. President.
4
The level of candor, truthfulness, and action of McCabe FAR exceeds those of Sessions and Trump, who are both notorious for poor memories and prevarications in explaining THEIR OWN actions and speech.
Level the playing field: HOLD YOURSELVES TO THE SAME STANDARDS YOU EXACT FROM THOSE OF YOUR STAFF, MRs TRUMP AND SESSIONS!
This firing would simply be political gamesmanship and is unwarranted.
4
The Orange Monarch is not amused. Traditional thinking will be punished.
Time for McCabe to move on. The ship is now sinking and there is a lifeboat along side. Firing looks bad on your resume anyway. Might even affect your credit score. Save face instead of getting it pushed onto the concrete like what happened to Rex. The country will snap back between 2020 and 2040. It will take 20 years to recover.
1
Horowitz became Justice Inspector General under President Obama. The FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility is made up of career agents. Their recommendation is not some Trumpian plot.
Without knowing the specifics, and none of us here does, who can say what the right decision is? That said, my instinct is to hope Sessions lets the clock run out, and by inaction, allows McCabe to retire.
3
If the country was well run, neither Trump nor Sessions would have a say in this man's future.
10
So he's a government employee, right? It took a couple years to fire a government employee in our office that had a drinking problem. He had to be notified, counseled, given an opportunity to improve, etc., etc. This guy had won awards for great work just a few years before his firing. He saved the government hundreds of thousands of dollars through the use of his contacts from a previous job. No one wanted to fire him but his drinking did cost him his job.
5
I do not understand this, at least from a point of logic. That article hurt Hillary Clinton, did it not? Even by Trump's usual twisted logic, it makes no sense, other than to further smear a career government employee. I guess that's all Trump wants to do.
5
It's the 'malignant' in malignant narcissism. "Those who interact with malignant narcissists consider them jealous, petty, thin-skinned, punitive, hateful, cunning, and angry." 2.22.17 Psychology Today
After a long and distinguished career in the FBI, Sessions and Trump may get rid of this lifelong Republican known for his integrity mere days before he is retiring anyway. The explicit purpose is to deny him his pension.
This is an attack on every law enforcement officer in the country. If you run afoul of Trump, expect a vicious attack. Expect your long career to be trashed. Expect everything to be twisted. Expect an attack on your wife.
"Lack of candor is a fireable offense". This is laughable in the context of Sessions and Trump. Sessions lied under oath about having contacts with Russians, including about the meeting he had in his own office with the Russian ambassador/spymaster. Trump has lied on the record more than 2,500 times so far.
This is petty, but it is another case of obstruction of justice. Firing this FBI veteran who is an important witness for the Russian investigation will please Russia, and it is an obvious attempt to taint his testimony. Sessions recused himself from the Russian investigation, so if he fires Mr. McCabe he is violating his own promise.
It is a sad thing when the president and Republicans have turned on law enforcement to this degree and with this level of vindictiveness. The FBI runs the counterintelligence investigations in this country. Once again, Putin evidently put a target on the back of one of his own enemies, and instead of poison, he is using the tools of Trump and Sessions. Forget the gold watch and handshake.
10
This absolutely exemplies the classless vindictiveness of this disgusting president and his band of incompetent sycophants. Shame on them!
33
Missing information from this report: How is he able to retire on March 18 when he is only 49 year old ? The minimum retirement age for federal law enforcement employees is 50 (after 20 years of law enforcement service) but McCabe doesn't turn 50 until May 5, 2018.
Also, to get to this point their would have been a proposed removal letter issued to McCabe and he would have had an opportunity to reply. Where is the proposal letter ? What did he say in reply to it ?
Most of the time that Senior Executive Service employees of the FBI have been issued a proposed disciplinary action that action has been mitigated to some lesser disciplinary action by the deciding official. What happens in this case if they decide to suspend him instead of remove him from service ? They could issue a suspension that never goes into effect because he retires first.
I really doubt that Jeff Sessions wants to deal with the appeal of this case if McCabe is removed.
5
Thanks for solving a mystery. I suspect that if McCabe formally retires on March 18, he has enough vacation or other leave built up to get him to his 50th birthday on May 5th. That's usually how it works anyway. It appears that the motivation to fire him prior to this Sunday is to deny him the ability to achieve the necessary service up to his 50th birthday.
It’s called becoming vested for one’s pension, not necessarily that he can begin drawing on his pension.
Is he taking accrued leave to be able to retire at this point?
I hope he has a good lawyer. And if he is fired, I will look forward to reading his book.
21
My personal opinion on the matter is that a person should never be fired while on leave. The employer should wait for the employees return and in this case there is no return so the employee should be allowed to retire. Should criminal conduct have occurred, the employee could be indicted and charged legally. The Keebler elf ( Sessions) should let it go.
9
Nor fired by twitter.
HC was supposed to win and then no one would have known about the shameful things Mr.McCabe did. But, now they do. He should be fired, but is it even worth the effort, is the real question at this point. It is better to focus on If the FBI can right its ship and the completion of the Mueller investigation for whatever might be found. Firing McCabe is distraction from the truly important.
3
What shameful things? That he pushed to continue the investigation into the Clinton foundation? Yeah bad. For Clinton not Trump.
McCabe can sue for his pension and possibly prevail. Let the president and the attorney general make a spectacle of themselves at the expense of a career law enforcement officer and the American people.
Even if Trump isn't subject to the Military Code of Uniform Justice as Commander-in-Chief, one expects him to adhere to its basic standards and tenets. Like honor and the matter of adultery subject to court-martial.
13
Eight years ago several FBI agents, including supervisors, cheated on a take-home exam test about policies for conducting surveillance on Americans. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39383571/ns/us_news-security/#.WqmKK2aZOF0. I do not think anyone was fired. Many received, if memory serves me right, a few days suspension. I don't know how to compare that to what McCabe allegedly did or did not do, but the FBI is not especially diligent about going after its own.
5
Maybe instead of the usual Trump bashing readers should just wait for the reasons McCabe might be fired. As the article states it's the Inspector General that is recommending termination and his report is due in the Spring. The Inspector General has been doing an independent review of the DOJ / FBI's handling of the two most significant cases affecting the election in 2016. Recommending terminating McCabe's days away from his retirement, and potentially negating a pension for 21 years of service seems to indicate the Inspector General is taking McCabe's fireable actions very seriously. Seriously enough that they are making this recommendation before their report is completed.
But it's your taxes. If you're fine paying $1.9 million to a law-breaker that's second in command at the FBI, and the laws broken appear to have something to do with influencing the outcome of a presidential election, then so be it. Like I said, it's your money.
Besides, he should be able to recover at least his own contributions to the pension plan. And maybe the Clinton's again will feel particularly generous and move another $600,000 or $700,000 his way to help out. Not.
3
You say we should wait for the reasons McCabe might be fired. You didn't. To wit: "If you're fine paying $1.9 million to a law-breaker that's second in command at the FBI, and the laws broken appear to have something to do with influencing the outcome of a presidential election, then so be it. Like I said, it's your money."
6
McCabe was born in 1968, he must be turning 50 soon. Federal law enforcement employees can retire at 50 with 20 years of service. He's a FERS employee, which means he qualifies for Social Security, FERS retirement and he probably has a large Thrift Savings Plan. He can file a grievance regarding his FERS being canceled. If that is not successful, he'll get the money he contributed back. It really is a mean thing for Trump to do to someone who worked for the FBI for so many years.
19
To terminate 3 days shy of retirement pension after 21 years of service will be predictably petty and mean-spirited by our so-called president.
My instinct tells me, if this is done, it will NOT send a message to career FBI agents.
Quite the opposite, Trump (or family) will be given NO slack with federal investigators henceforth.
14
Seems to me Trump wants to discredit McCabe because he can corroborate Comey's assertion that Trump leaned on him to drop the investigation into Flynn. It's all part of the effort to systematically discredit Mueller's investigation.
16
The key information is missing. What is the basis of the accusation that he mislead the inspector general? Why are so many people willing to draw conclusions on this story without that information?
6
What an awful administration, worse than I would have imagined and I had sadly imagined awful stuff happening.
78
Of course he is going to be fired before Sunday - why would anyone expect anything else from this administration. The question is will it be from a tweet at dawn from the POTUS, or a formal statement from the DOJ.
30
What will it take for us to realize that our esteemed leader is anything but? He is more dangerous to the fate of our country's democracy and well-being than anyone else on the planet.
31
When you find yourself agreeing with a statement by GW and another by Kim, it is indeed Bizarro world. Who would ever have thought it possible?
Looks like there will be several tell-all books on their way further reinforcing the concept of rot in our White House.
Trump's hypocrisy and vindictiveness are stunning.
67
I would call the Director’s firing, witness intimidation Special Prosecutor.
42
Trump will do whatever Trump wants, regardless of decency. Sessions will too. Neither man has shown candor in the past few years. I say go ahead and fire him. McCabe can write a book, make some money as a tv commentator, and when the reign of fire and bad publicity falls down on the whole Trump/Sessions nightmare.... actually probably no one will care. Taking away a guy’s pension? Sure. All in a day’s work for these evil treasonous people. This whole thing better end with Trump in handcuffs, or this country’s grand experiment in Democracy is finished.
51
Nunes lied about getting dirt from the White House that he could “find” in the House investigation and bring to the White House. Then he lied about recusing himself from the investigation which exonerated Trump without any consultation with the full committee. Tell us again about the bad thing McCabe did?
45
Who can make war with the Beast?
We all know how this is going to end:
(1) Out of common decency (not a concept Trump understands), Attorney General Sessions will not fire Mr. McCabe (and steal his retirement from him).
(2) Trump will use this as an excuse to fire AG Sessions.
(3) Trump will then order next-in-line Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to fire Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller -- which he will refuse to do.
(4) Trump will then fire Deputy AG Rosenstein, and keep working his way down the Justice Department hierarchy until he finds the one who will fire Prosecutor Mueller.
(5) Trump will not be able to get a new Attorney General confirmed by the Senate.
(6) The House of Representatives will do absolutely nothing to hold Trump accountable, and will, in fact, ramp-up their partisan efforts to provide cover to Trump's end-run around the Constitution.
Impeachment is not an option with the current GOP House.
"A decent respect to the opinions of mankind" now requires that the American people no longer tolerate this insanity, vote in historical numbers in the 2018 mid-term elections and flip at least one house of Congress to Democratic control as a constitutional check-and-balance against absolute power gone criminally mad.
If Trump succeeds in firing Mueller with impunity, the Constitution provides Impeachment as our only remedy to remove an unfit and dangerous president from office.
Vote like your country depends on it -- it does!
99
That about sums it up. Scary though.
6
"The firings days before pension benefits are received will continue until morale improves."
I see this as a thinly-veiled move by Trump to soften up anyone else in the FBI or DOJ who may find themselves making investigative decisions regarding this corrupt president, his corrupt administration, or his corrupt Trump Organization.
39
Destroying an opponent's career, and in this case retirement, is the first salvo from every petty tyrant--Trump included.
34
It's one thing to throw rocks at a hornet's nest.
It's another to knock it down with a stick and try to kick it when it's down.
If Trump were smart he would not try to stomp any further on the FBI.
But we all know Trump is not smart.
35
This was off an internal FBI recommendation to fire McCabe, so why is the piece about Trump? Can you guys just write a straight news story without bringing the politics into it. I could see all the Trump stuff in a graph at the end as ancillary info, but not throughout...Should have been about McCabe, the FBI recommendation, what he allegedly did, etc. Is that too much to ask?
8
If Sessions/Trump fire this guy 3 days before he is set to retire it will show just how spite-filled and petty this Trump team really can be. When the President of the United States goes out of his way to perform a petty act such as this it shows what a very tiny little person he actually is. Such an act would be beneath the dignity of either man's office. But Trump knows no shame and hasn't a single iota of dignity. As for Sessions, we will see.
23
If lying to the FBI in an unsworn interview is a federal crime, then the Deputy Director of the FBI lying under oath is something that should be treated very seriously.
9
Firing McCabe a few days before he’s eligible for his pension will decimate morale at the FBI. Maybe that’s the goal of tRump/Putin.
The comments are laced with short inflammatory sentences from far-off locales in favor of the firing. Bots?
Reinforces paragraph 1.
13
lack of candor, is that the new version of "the evidence against you is the fact that there is no evidence against you"?
5
Hence the Mueller inquest
I was referencing the infamous Mark Hatfill persecution because lack of candor sounds just as ambiguous and silly as the quoted assertion about why they would not let up on him after finding no evidence. Apparently it was a group of rogue agents supported by the AG who invented a whole new extra legal term for it "person of interest".
Hmmm, now the true colors are being exposed although, we knew what they might be all along. If this heinous act does take place, I would believe that if there is a "deep state" to nail The Dolt, then lookout below!
Little Jeffy better resign as he too will be taken down due to being ineffective as the A.G.
The FBI may rebel, though not openly so the Family Chump and others better watch their backs. You know, this may not be such a bad thing (as long as Mr. McCabe gets his well earned retirement. It not nice to fool around with the FBI!
6
The trump-Sessions sadistic vindictiveness and hypocrisy is astounding. Why has Sessions not been held fully accountable, fired and locked up for lying repeatedly under oath to Congress? How about the most prolific liar in history now residing in the people's house? How much worse does it have to get before he is fired?
Too bad no one has come up with a deck of cards with trump and his associates like we did with the Iraqi Most Wanted deck of cards. Oops, only 52 cards and 54 have already left? We are gonna need a bigger deck of cards.
I assume Mr. McCabe can retire right now with a 20 year based pension instead of risking staying employed and being fired and losing a 21 year based pension. It is typical of companies firing retiring employees with upcoming pensions.
8
The meanness and the pettiness of firing McCabe so he loses his pension, after serving the FBI diligently for so many years, well, if they do this, it will backfire on Trump, Sessions, and Republicans in general. Americans like their pensions and most of us don't have them; even the idea of them is a nice one since we don't have much of a safety net in this country. The idea of a (literally) fat cat like Trump doing this mean spirited thing to try to pauperize a career public servant who I guess had the audacity of being married to a democrat is just sickening.
36
If he doesnt get his full pension, will he get no pension at all? This is an information ommission.
7
This is a Greek tragedy.
Sessions must chose between beheading McCabe to appease the scornful wrathful god Trump who has mocked and degraded and humiliated Sessions incessantly, or show reasonable compassion towards a civil servant with an nearly unblemished record of decades of service to his country .
18
Trump's version of the "purge". Everyday, somebody different.
3
Rob a man of his pension after so many years in government service, all for political revenge and spite.
This administration is simply disgraceful.
39
I will take that lawsuit in a heartbeat.
10
Omg Trump should not fire him before he retires, just so he would lose the pension benefits that he earned. That would be a morally repugnant way to treat a career public servant who disagreed with Trump politically. That would be truly awful.
12
If the Trump camp was so vindictive as 90% of comments say, then they would have fired him a while ago.
Don't underestimate the power of denial.
1
Make that 95%, and yes, being vindictive means waiting until 3 days before retirement to fire someone. If the Trump camp (meaning Trump) were professional, he would have had him fired immediately upon determination of violation of department policy.
1
Now that's the definition of a witch hunt. Threaten to deprive someone of their pension by firing out of animus 4 days before retirement. Nice, makes a valued statement on 21 years of public service.
22
This is Trump's Night of the Long Knives. Next military parades and a coup. Where are the republicans? They don't care about the United States. We are doomed.
15
Wew! Where can I begin?
Comey, for all the heroism he received, from Democrats first and then Republicans, did politicize the organization in a way that was not good...and the mud still sticks. He was, sorry for using the the President's own word, a bit of "a showboat". Unfortunately, Loretta Lynch did not train or guide him well to deal with the press better on Clinton's email server, when she was forced to recuse herself over a silly matter.
It is amusing that people keep talking about Russia collusion, when Ms Clinton herself admitted that Comey's revelation of the email investigation with a lot of publicity probably did more serious damage to her campaign than anything else.
I myself wrote about this, thinking something horrendous and serious were going to be released...as it was so close to the election. Pfffft! It was a bad judgment call by Comey.
McCabe is in a different boat altogether. He seems to be the opposite of the "showboat". He is a kind of "a secret boat" that sort of wants to operate in the dark, collect his pension quietly and then skittle away. He too has played some politics...but is it worthy of firing and having his pension revoked? Probably not! (There is some pettiness and grandstanding on the part of Sessions and his supporters). The question: Was McCabe forthcoming? Not yet answered.
This is why when we politicize too much FBI, CIA, NSA, TSA...nothing good can come out of it.
Hopefully this show has an end!
2
I had already voted before Comey made his statement...and nothing anyone could have said would ever change my mind about Hillary Clinton. And she has no one but herself to blame for my opinion of her.
2
Hi, ExhaustedFromTypingMyOwnScreenName. This guy perverted the justice system in exchange for Clinton campaign cash. He politicized and criminalized his own position with no help from "us". Hopefully this show ends with him behind bars.
Deputy Director McCabe is being threatened by an Attorney General lap dog of a mentally unstable president.
It is time for the supreme Court to rule on the charge of an FBI leader encouraging journalists to exercise the First Amendment, and inform the American people that the president was elected by the Russian Intelligence Service to serve the wishes of Vladimir Putin.
6
Dear rank and file workers at the FBI and CIA and DHS - please observe what this president and what the GOP really thinks of you. Your integrity is not welcome or appreciated by these people.
14
And I suspect their pensions and retirement benefits are at risk if they vote Democrat, disagree with any POTUS positions, or happen to roll their eyes the wrong way during a State of the Union address.
4
Trump doesn't understand separation of powers. The only thing he knows for sure is that his giant ego hurts. 45 is a joke of a president. The joke's not funny anymore.
11
What a petty, rotten thing to do. But then, coming from a petty, rotten, vindictive administration like Trump's, it's just another day at the office.
15
Jeff Sessions, the ultimate hypocrite and partner in Trump's crimes. He should go to jail for being a counterpart to Trumps ultimate corruption. One day he will be there because Truth finds its way home to those who try to cover it up. He has no intergrity.
10
Typical of trump and his minions. They remind me of the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz. trump has succeeded in turning the swamp into an open cesspool. He shames America with every breath.
12
This is outrageous! This is POTUS and his lackeys at their worse. I cannot believe that they are so cold hearted. This is a good man that has served his country well for the past 21 years. It seems that we are more of a dictatorship every day. POTUS's favorite speech this past week is "your fired!"
8
Another opportunity for Trump to prove he's a horrible leader.
9
We have a despicable sick president. Trump, Jeff Sessions and the entire GOP sink lower daily to levels seen as unfathomable previously. The Presidents callous, vindictive, hateful vendetta permeates his decisions.
Racist, corrupt, inhuman. Let’s remember he’s possibly guilty of collusion, conflict of interest, emoluments clause of the United States Constitution, quid pro quo corrupt diplomacy that’s criminal.
Like the great Larry Tribe said, “worst president in history”. Like the great former New York Mayor and philanthropist/humanitarian Michael Bloomberg said “I’m from New York and I know a con when I see one”.
12
Revenge is one of the pillars of Trump's "theory" of the "art" of the deal. i.e., he relishes the pursuit of revenge maybe more than anything he does, and all he needs as a trigger is his own delusional perception that he's been done harm by someone. He thinks demeaning and working to destroy anyone who doesn't suck up to him makes him look strong. What a sick daddy he had, and what a sick son and father he's been.
9
Moreover if McCabe is fired it will show how petty and mean spirited Trump is. What a vindictive small selfish man.
That's the whole point.
So far the liberals and the media have had a fun time tying him up with bogus investigations and what not.
Wait till he really gets started.
4
SUE if fired.
7
Welcome to the US...SR!
8
Loved by the left during the 50s 60s 70s 80s....
1
If this is the criteria for being fired then the POTUS should have been gone a long time ago.
14
And the tRump circus, with Jeff Sessions wearing a tu-tu and conducting a witch hunt, continues!!
tRump is dragging this democracy through the mud of his whims. More than shameful; trump has no regard for anyone but himself.
The Republicans will pay dearly for their aiding and abetting this child come November, and maybe, God willing, an early preview this week in PA.
Godspeed, Mr. Mueller!!
9
"A Trump target"? What a biased and misleading headline. This guy is the poster boy of corruption in the swamp! We now know that he deliberately watered down the FBI report on the investigation Hillary's 33,000 destroyed StateDepartment emails, that his wife received political contributions from Hillary's camp while he was investigating Hillary, an the NYT chooses to describe him as a " Trump target?" Shameful, unjournalistic. The Grey Lady is in a hospice.
7
Just the suggestion Sessions might fire McCabe 4 days before his pension is vested is toxic, disgusting, shameful.
Trump hates McCabe and would love for Sessions to fire him because Trump's greatest pleasure is to ruin, shame and destroy his "enemies." Trump's a sick man.
But if Sessions fires McCabe, the revulsion will be considerable. Is Trump pushing Sessions to fire McCabe because it could also result in Sessions resignation - allowing Trump to do the one thing he wants most - to nominate an Attorney General who will be his loyal lapdog when dealing with the Russian investigation?
This situation is a fetid swamp of Trump's bad faith.
11
So if this is his retirement at risk, then I suppose the man will need to write a book to compensate for his lost income. "Targeted by Trump." Plus he should sue for wrongful termination with all the associated discovery required. That should keep all this in the news for a while. Even from the standpoint of Trump's self-interest this is so stupid! We can just assume the vindictiveness of the act as SOP.
10
The imminent and long-awaited report from independent DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz isn't going to help McCabe, and what Horowitz told FBI Director Wray about McCabe sent him into early retirement.
It won't be much of a shock if McCabe is fired.
7
Don't lie to the FBI ... whether senior official, Trumpster, Clinton Foundation, anyone. As usual, the attempted cover up is worse than the misdeed.
2
This just shows how petty and vindictive Trump is, a billionaire taking away the pension of a public service. Astonishing, the IG report hasn't even been issued yet. But Trump wants to punish McCabe, because McCabe's wife is a Democrat, because McCabe is a witness in the FBI investigation in Comey's firing. Such a despicable act.
29
Fire Andrew McCabe immediately without delay.
7
The only potential silver lining in this incredibly craven act is that such indignant mistreatment will hopefully encourage McCabe to spill all the beans about Trump and his band of cronies.
15
Trump wants to deprive this man of retirement two days away after decades of public service? What a small, small, man he is. A vindictive little brat.
29
You have described McCabe beautifully.
2
Decades of political hackery, from all appearances. This man should be in jail.
1
Wow, if anyone should be fired it's Trump. What a complete lack of soul and integrity. This man is not only deplorable, he's evil. And the people who carry out his evil work are equally culpable. If I were McCabe I would find a great lawyer and sue. Unfortunately, our tax money will go to defending Trump's position. I am tired of supporting Trump and his lazy family. Time for them to get off the dole and go away.
20
Goin' after the man's pension? The pension he earned? This Administration is so low it could play handball on the curb. What a petty disgrace.
21
Trump can’t even thank the man who worked with Comey in October 2016 to elect him? What an ingrate.
8
McCabe is a career FBI professional. Terminating this individuals days prior to retirement would likely promote a massive payback to those who are now under investigation...this absolutely includes Trump and members of his campaign.
Take for example, Manaford...even if Manford decided to "turn"..if Mueller has evidence from others sources to indict or otherwise lay the ground work for impeachment...Mueller could say.."no deal"..we do not wish to consider reduction in sentence. Therefore, Mr. Manaford enjoy the rest of your life in one of "kill"prisons in Alabama or LA. Now that is payback!
I and millions of Americans are sick and tired of the Trump guy..an outrageous pathetic liar and "everyday" con man..who is about at pro-American as Putin..
LTC, US Army
11
Lack of Candor under oath? Now isn't the official name for that perjury? Why is it people are being prosecuted by corrupt biased Mueller for lying to the FBI, but and FBI Deputy Director at the heard to the Obama corrupt FBI, who clearly was part of the illegal conspiracy to obstruct justice and bury evidence in the Crooked Hillary email investigation. He was also clearly at the heart of the conspiracy to hinder the Trump Presidential Candidacy, create a fraudulent dossier by colluding with Democrats, a foreign spy, and Russians, and then use that to illegally spy on the Trump campaign, and provide a fraudulent bases for the Muller conspiracy. While he was involved in all that which basically can be summarized as Treason, his wife was taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Democrats for a political campaign. He should be fired and prosecuted. I'd normally say he should get his retirement. I'm sure he wasn't corrupt his entire FBI career, but why should taxpayers pay to keep in comfort for what he's done? Let the DNC pay for his retirement since he colluded with them.
6
Like a rotting fish, this administration stinks from the head down. The GOP lacks all decency and honesty and Trump leads the way.
12
Trump is unequivocally subterranean.
9
Getting fired for a lack of candor? During this administration? Really?
14
Just the sort of vindictiveness we've come to expect from the likes of Jeff Sessions, righteous authoritarian warrior on behalf of the already privileged.
9
"In meetings with Mr. McCabe, the president questioned how he had voted and needled him about his wife, calling her a “loser,” according to people familiar with the conversations."
Trump had no right to ask him how he voted and his classlessness in calling McCabe's wife a "loser" is just more proof of what a totally repellant nitwit Trump is.
It's still illegal to retaliate against federal employees and the fact that McCabe is a 21 year veteran of the FBI should override and nonsense drummed up by Trump and his so-called "justice department" and his toady attorney general.
15
Donald Trump and his cronies are dis-honest and not up front about anything. Only after the fact they start to remember they had a meeting or met with a few Russians, but their memory is so hazy. Now, they wan to use that against Mccabe because Trump doesn't like him or his wife. It's crazy how this even allowed. DT goes on bashes this man on twitter every day so how can the elf not be biased?
6
I will relish the time that Karma visits Trump. I'm patient.
16
“I will hire only the best. The best sycophants money can buy, that is. I will surround myself with sad sacks who want to be humiliated, denigrated, marginalized; I want lickspittles who have proven their craven lack of character over a long period of time.”
“I want the best brown-nosers the world has ever seen, who will keep their noses brown and moist whenever in my presence, while lavishly praising me. Brown-misers who, on command, will tell me I’m smart, and handsome, and that I am a better President than George Washington, and Abe Lincoln, and Obama, and every other President who came before me.”
“I want only the best!”
5
McCabe may not be blameless, but Trump's ugly hounding of the man is blameworthy.
9
People briefed on the matter? You mean, the leakers who are manipulating the authors of this junk? Yes, you do.
1
Never feel anything but disdain for Jeff Sessions. Ever. No matter what Trumpf may do to him.
11
Interesting to see that NYT commenters are not interested in the particulars of the matter. McCabe has a lot to answer for, starting with the $675,000 his wife received from the longtime Clinton money-man Terry McAulliff's PAC in 2015 when McCabe was in charge of the FBI's Washington field office, which had opened the investigation into HRC's emails. It looks like he can be fired for cause. And possibly prosecuted.
32
That would be a rugged road in court. It's easy for us to say from a distance, but the Clinton conspiracy folks keep coming up empty when it comes to proving something. That's a fruitless as complaining that fashion models are deserving of Einstein visas and so are their parents.
13
Except that the $675,000.00 was disclosed and accounted for with the FBI's ethics experts, and they gave McCabe approval to keep doing his job. It was all completely on the up-and-up.
Its so convenient, these allegations of "political bias". It lets people shut down criminal investigations without having to actually prove any wrongdoing or incompetence.
22
By that logic anyone that has ever run for political office and also had a position in the judicial or executive branches is corrupt... I would argue that Trump taking money from DeVos in the campaign was a bribe for the Dept of Ed. position. Your argument doesn't hold water because it vilifies our entire electoral system but you only apply those standards to people you don't like.
26
Trump should have cleared this with his handler Putin first. He may have a different idea.
14
How sadly typical of this administration to vindictively ensnare this career public servant in their never-ending web of deceit. It seems that one of the perks of being President that Trump enjoys the most is using his power to destroy anyone who disagrees or opposes him, whether that opposition is real or imagined(can you say delusional paranoia?).
So Jeff Sessions, trying once again to keep his job by appeasing the whims of his moronic president, once again misuses his power as attorney general because he knows that Trump just doesn't want to remove his perceived 'enemies' but wants to humiliate them as well.
And even Tillerson, who does NOT deserve praise for gutting the State Dept. in accordance with Trumps "I-will-direct-foreign-policy myself', gets tweeted out of this august office by Mr. Brag & Bluster who doesn't have the stones himself to face someone man to man and tell him he's being let go.
Every day, in some different way, this man brings more shame upon himself and causes more damage to the Presidency of the United States.
57
“The Daily Sadist” - that’s Trump’s Reality Show.
What a disgusting travesty sitting in the White House. (Maybe even on that gold toilet bowl.)
24
Omarosa gets to stay in the WH for a full calendar year to collect her "pension" but McCabe will be cut off 5 days short of his after serving for decades. Truly they have no shame.
71
"Honey, how do we keep the FBI from indicting you for that email server nonsense?"
"Oh Bill, I've already arranged to have the wife of that FBI guy McCabe get a bundle for her campaign. Terry has made sure of it. That should settle things down until I get elected. Then it's Camelot all over again!"
"It's a good thing you went to Wellesley!"
6
It concerns me, that Insp. Gen. Horowitz's views are, "Not forthcoming and not clear" as well as his, apparent, acceleration of this report(?), rather than his announced investigations into, "Several contentious decisions made by the Justice Dept. during the 2016 presidential campaign."
It's clear to everyone, Comey gave a boost to DJT with his, reopening of HRC's email investigation, days before the election. With that "Boost" in mind, and then Comey's firing, it's clear he was fired for a different reason, than his handling of that case. Where's Insp. Horowitz on that?
If Deputy Dir. McCabe is fired over a phone call to the WSJ, somehow making him guilty of, "Lack of candor", a friable offense. Than why wasn't candidate Trump disqualified from running, the moment a check was paid, as hush money to a "Porn Star"? To me, the Chief Executive should be held to the highest standard, being in the Highest Office, not exempt from the standards that apply to lesser Govt. Workers. What's "Sad", is we're, meaning the USA, the real "losers" in this new, WH created environment.
10
Dear NYT:
This seems to be more than a "lack of candor," as your reporters put it so delicately. If McCabe lied to investigators or deliberately misled them as to his own culpability in a leak of this nature, he has committed a felony, just like Flyy or Popadopoulis.
6
Hold onto your hats.
McCabe is a snake. Lying to protect Hillary is not what is expected of a public servant.
It is just getting started.
You may need to make sure to include sources other than NYT if you actually want to know what is happening, although watching the NYT attempt to spin is amusing.
3
He wanted to continue the Hillary investigation. Turn FOX off.
7
What a mean administration. I hope there is Karma!
3
Stormy Daniels is Karma's sister :)
1
An IG investigation concocted to placate Trump has raced the clock to provide firing justification for an employee who no longer works at the FBI just so he can get screwed out of the retirement benefits Trump tweeted about. Looks like the IG needs investigating.
12
What recourse does McCabe have if he is fired before Sunday? If he is fired before Sunday this will certainly appear to be a case of Horowitz and Sessions giving Trump one of the many "severed heads" Trump's been demanding. How will the rank and file view this? as a political hit job? Are the "witnesses against McCabe" working in the FBI New York office perchance?
5
I don't get it. Why is little hands so after McCabe. Maybe as he is the "last one standing" along with Comey. Talk about the kettle calling the pot black with "being forthcoming". Time for little Jeffie to step down. This white house is so full of liars, cheats, thieves, misogynists, and bullies. Despicable bunch on many levels.
12
Trump machinations: he seeks revenge on those he thinks tried to outmanuever him. Never mind that he himself is guilty of far greater transgressions, and will seek executive privilege and the shelter of the presidency to avoid punishment for his own shady activities (and those of ppeople he decides to protect, until they become expendable: Flynn... Porter... his former assistant, under investigation for serious financial crimes, NOW working for his 2020 campaign).
Its NOT a level playing field, the rules do NOT apply equally to everyone, and this clearly partisan manipulation of the regulations to single out 'enemies' has become the norm in this presidency....
3
This reminds me of the petty cruelty Trump displayed in blocking Sean Spicer from meeting the Pope. And now our hypocrite in chief wants to fire somebody for lying???? What a bully.
15
What a vile, hatred filled, disgusting administration. I hope you Sue them well, Mr. McCabe, and thank you for your service.
11
What a stupid idea! Ignoring years of service because of misjudgment in a politically turbulent time. I hope this does not happen but if it does I hope McCabe files the biggest lawsuit ever and calls every witness to the misdeeds of this administration and a defamation suit against the president directly.
6
Fired!
he needs to be arrested
3
Firing McCabe 5 days before his pension vests would be typical for a tyrannical and vindictive sociopath like Trump
11
How many of us know or know of people who got cross ways with "the Boss", and were allowed to retire and go away with their pensions. Happens all the time in most corporations. If they agree to just move on, they get their pensions and the company gets to run things without interference from an old hand. But this is the Trump administration, and nobody gets a pass. Vindictive little man and his minions have to turn the screws and take all the marbles. Disgusting!.
7
The FBI WANTS HIM FIRED
they sid theyre own internal investigation
1
Sessions is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Let us all hope that Sessions is a better man than Trump and that he does what is right and allows McCabe to retire in peace.
5
This is what is called ...draining the swamp sheeple! Yea they never fired one, well he's the first.! Do your homework people! Look at various sources...stop drinking the censored media kool aid...
3
New Low of the Day!
Just when you think 45 can’t do something more disgusting than the day before, he finds a new way. What a wretched, petty, and abhorrent being.
8
This is how Trump runs his business. His policy is probably to fire employees just before they become vested in order to save their pensions for himself - if he even has a pension play, the cheap crook.
The Dotard is a vengeful, spiteful, immature child sociopath who thinks he has been given a get-out-of-jail-free card. Let's prove him wrong and lock him up, and claw back his money (if there really is any). Perhaps a hair net would help the image, just like his clone.
Yes, I am outraged, The Dotard is a disgrace to every decent American, Trumplicans excluded.
7
So funny. The Trump curse.
What goes around comes around, Mr. President. Do you actually believe your subservience to Putin is not only obvious, but pathetic and weak? No matter how you try to over compensate for your endless lies and failure as a man, the legal and moral case against you has become insurmountable.
4
This truly shows the side of Trump we like the least and it's his biggest side.
I don't know how even his own family can stand him, oh wait a minute I know it's the money because if this bum didn't have any he'd be a bum on the streets and I just insulted street people, SORRY.
3
Throwing a devoted civil servants career in the toilet cannot be the answer to our problems. However throwing this infantile, sick, yes sick, man out of his job as president should be our number one priority before we are all sucking up to Russia. PLEASE.
6
McCabe is part of the plot to overthrow the President and spy on him.
3
Of course! I already thought he was gone. It’s common knowledge that anything that smacks of criticizing der Führer or questioning his misguided, self-serving policies will be met with derision and firing. Were we in a less free country, I bet Trump would’ve had McCabe executed by this point. Trump’s sole policy is “Me! Me! Me!”
2
Seems the only real deep state is the effect a bucket of KFC has on the donhole.
1
So spiteful, so small.
2
The whole world is watching this sad, foolish, crazy President. The United States is losing total credibility by allowing this mad man to get away with his wilful actions. He is edging closer to being the dictator and there doesn't appear anyone in the GOP (what a joke) wanting to stop him. Mueller had better speed this investigation up.
5
Trump is just plain mean, in addition to being a bully, a thug, a liar, and kissing up to his buddy, Vlad. He disgusts me. I do hope Stormy Daniels is his comeuppance!
7
I assume OPM is not a player in this guy's situation since he is probably SES (senior executive service). But I have to think there are ways to extend his SES tenure (annual leave? sick leave?) to cover 48 freaking hours. If he is denied a pension, he should sue. It will take years for a decision, but McCabe shouldn't walk away with his tail between his legs.
2
Of course Trump would fire a career federal servant, someone who gave 20+ years to this country before he can retire. Why would Trump do that, because he is a jerk and is always looking for new and fabulous ways to be a jerk. He would also do this to send a message to every other career government officer and employee. Do my bidding or I will screw up your retirement.
6
It is a serious mistake to take a person's retirement away for any act other than massive embezzlement. Mr. McCabe worked honorably for his retirement for 21 years and deserves it. Should it be taken away, he should sue Trump, Sessions and the Government for it, because "lack of candor" is a pathetic accusation.
201
How about treason. perjury, subornation of perjury, obstruction of justice, violation of the FISA Act and failure to report financial corruption, just for starters?
3
Worked honestly? He's likely to be indicted. He captained an effort to deliberately let Hillary Clinton get away with massive criminal violations of US espionage and security laws to help ensure her election; and so her underlings could get away with obstruction of justice by destroying records and computers sought by congress for inspection. He then spearheaded an effort to criminally wiretap/surveil the Republican campaign for the Democratic Party and its candidate and sought to use FBI and DOJ assets to destroy an elected President. This is not honorable or honest work. It is time that examples of political and legal corruption be made and you can start with McCabe.
2
It’s simply not true that he could “lose” his retirement. Federal employees don’t lose all their their retirement benefits just for being fired. He may not get 100% of his retirement benefit, but having worked for 99% of the time toward retirement, would still get a pension nearly as large as the full retirement benefit.
1
This is so incredibly petty and vindictive on the part of someone whose ego is so large it could fill a museum for the insane. Here we have a career FBI agent who did nothing wrong. As stated, the article published in the Wall Street Journal was critical of Mrs Clinton, not Trump.
"The allegations revolve around disclosures to The Wall Street Journal, which revealed in October 2016 a dispute between the F.B.I. and Justice Department over how to proceed in an investigation into the Clinton family’s foundation. The article said that the Justice Department would not authorize subpoenas in the case. Some F.B.I. agents, the article said, believed that Mr. McCabe had put the brakes on the investigation. Others rejected that notion."
I guess that Trump was not satisfied with Mr McCabe because he believes that the FBI did not go far enough in pursuing the Clinton Foundation and the Clintons. How petty and stupid.
73
Great way to recruit more dedicated civil servants! Vilify them in public, embarrass them in private and criticize their wives. Then, to top it off, make it possible to put them in financial jeopardy by threatening their pensions. Way to attract the best and the brightest, Mr President.
911
Don't be silly- he's not interested in the best and brightest anything. He wants his staff and base as ignorant and corrupted as he is!
13
We don't need more McCabes. Potential candidates with honor and integrity would likely feel more comfortable joining an FBI that roots out and purges the corrupt and dishonest.
1
McCabe is not the best and the brightest. He's the corrupt and compromised.
2
Pure corruption -- to use the power of the federal government to retaliate against people you don't like.
191
Tell that to Obama and Clinton.
3
This is why Trump's candidates are losing. People read. People look at the mainstream news. They can critically think and see that Trump IS a moron.
5
He will be hired into some job that makes him millions of dollars, and he will sue, and he will win, and I wish that I could say that I cannot believe that we are wasting time, money and energy on what is clearly a Trump-Sessions "mean girls" episode. But I can.
48
Trying to stage a Silent Coup against an elected POTUS in not a Mean Girls episode. Get a clue!
1
The architect of the anti-Trump movement is Trump.
I see only one profound result from firing a McCabe: A Bigger Blue Wave.
59
It's disturbing that this even an issue. He is retiring in less than a week. He hasn't perjured himself or taken lavish trips on the taxpayer dime or corrupted the agency for his own financial benefit or done anything that could warrant stripping him of a pension he spend decades earning.
This is being played out publicly as a warning to other DOJ employees and it is disgusting.
230
If you rad the article, he's accused of being deceptive in sworn testimony - or in other words, lying under oath.
2
He did perjure himself in at least 2 appearances before Congressional committee.
2
Firing McCabe will only stiffen the FBI's resolve to investigate Trump.
72
Call him in. See if he will talk. He knows where ALL the bodies are buried.
Your pension for your cooperation McCabe.
What will he do? What would you do?
7
You can only talk if you have something to say. Trump, as usual, has fabricated a scenario and has bullied his lackeys into proving it’s true. Private email server vs. an uncouth loudmouth with—perhaps—a lot of money, a gasbag always on the verge of exploding.
McCabe will get his pension, eventually.
And Trump will be impeached, sooner or later.
(But not before the election, it will still take a
Dem takeover to accomplish.)
I suspect this has been “leaked” as a distraction from the embarrassing Republican defeat in Pennsylvania. Trump’s typical style.
44
David Dennison is at it again!
4
No, it's been long overdue. He should have been fired for not disclosing the 700,000 in campaign loans his wife got from Terry McAuliffe, who was under investigations by the FBI at the time. That was uncovered in 2016.
1
He did disclose it, timely, in federal filings.
"when agents are found to have shown a lack of candor under oath, they are commonly fired."
There, you yourselves have said it.
9
Where was he "under oath?"
1
Trump has set the bar for lying, and it’s a pretty high one. I doubt if McCabe can reach those heights
1
Sorry, but I’ll have to pass on the outrage. We have the FBI to thank for Donald Trump. It began with James Comey and it won’t end with Andrew McCabe walking the plank. And wouldn’t it be just like the president to blow up McCabe’s pension by firing him? How that boosts morale at the cop shop is beyond my imagining. The Department hated the Clintons because Bill fired William Stratton back in the day, a big reason for Comey’s undermining HRC 10 days from Election Day, 2016. Hope the FBI is happy that it engineered a president into office who’s now got them in his cross-hairs. Be careful of what you don’t want because what you think you want might kill you.
26
Trump shouldn't mess with the FBI, they know where the Sex Tapes are. :)
2
There is a level of extreme cruelty and humiliation to this act. No one should have their pension taken away two days before retirement, even if their was "lack of candor". There is no one Trump is unwilling to debase for his own self-edification and, the more decent the person is, the more they need to be humiliated. We appreciated your service, Mr. McCabe, and I hope you find a way to get back your pension. Mr. Trump, the democratic victory of Connor Lamb is the start of the fall of the House. I hope your fragile ego is tortured and your traitorous relationship with the Russians exposes you for the gross criminal you have always been.
86
I say fire him. The FBI did a horrible job during his time there and allowing him to retire with a pension is a huge injustice.
25
Since it seems that he may have helped Trump get elected, I might agree, but lose his pension, not sure -- Trump for all of his lying and cheating and disgusting behavior, he gets the WH -- likely he should be in jail -- and I think one day he will be.
12
If doing " a horrible job during his time there" is a legitimate reason to deny a person his pension, then it should follow that Congress should deny all their retirees their pensions and golden parachutes. They haven't worked for the American people in years.
14
The FBI over the past 20 years has served the US well. Our FBI is known and held in high regard around the world for a very long time—even before McCabe. If you read enough about his career with the FBI, his reputation is impeccable. He has served his country well and deserves his full pension for his 20 year career as a federal employee.
This is all about politics in a highly charged political environment. He nor his family deserve to pay a very high price for vindictive reasons, no matter who might want to make it happen.
I hope Attorney Jeff Sessions has the courage to take a stand and not allow Andrew McCabe to be fired anyone.
5
Unacceptable. Petty vendetta is driving this administration. Is he going to be able to fire Congressmen as well?
15
This is something you actually see happen pretty regularly in the real world, but you're right; Trump's desirous thirst for petty revenge is very disturbing. He doesn't have anything else to do?
16
Yeah. Golf at Mar-A-Lago at taxpayer expense.
2
Yes, he has his Space Force to engineer and send into the ether. Can't we just get him a toy rocket to play with? Imagine the fun he and "Rocket Man" can have at their summit.
1
Trump is petty. He wants to make the point to anyone in the government that if he is criticized or doesn't like your conclusions, he will try and take away your pension. For the offense of doing your job and upholding your oath to the Constitution.
23
You might say Sessions showed courage when he recused himself from the campaign investigation, knowing that doing so would enrage the boss. On the other hand, he didn't really have a choice, and he surely feels more comfortable with every inch that (temporarily) separates him from this scandal and its investigation.
Refusing to fire McCabe, on the other hand, would be a clear and courageous statement of principle. Anybody takin' bets?
9
Mr. McCabe is a FBI careerist who paid political favors before, during, and post election. Let him keep his pension and desk set because his reputation
for Fidelity, Integrity, Bravery is kaput.
3
Trump's people don't understand career civil servants: people who spend a lifetime working for the greater good, rather than tons of cash. But they would fire the guy and endanger his pension. Class acts, all the way around.
24
The FBI staff and personnel should rebel. Stage a walk out or work stoppage.
It is shameful that our government has deteriorated to this low level. McCabe has devoted his life to the service of our country through his long distinguished career in the FBI. Whatever the outcome of the Department of Justice internal investigation, it can not justify this unacceptable treatment of this career employee. So let's wait for Attorney General Sessions' final decision and see if the title "Department of Justice" is still warranted.
494
and he tossed his career away when he injected his politics into the job
The problem facing the AG is that if AGM is fired for "leaking" or allowing "leakage" and wasn't candid about it then others are soon to follow AGM out the door and THAT list of names may be pretty long and have recognizable people on it.
7
It seems to me that Mr McCabe held a very high profile apolitical job and that Mrs McCabe deciding to run for political office was not the wisest of household decisions.
4
But in a free country, a wife should be able to run for office in the party of her choice without endangering her husband's job and vice versa. If McCabe is fired because of his wife's political campaign, we are back to women as chattel. Completely unfair. Of course, being unfair to women is one of Trump's best known characteristics.
79
If McCabe seriously violated FBI rules, then he should be fired or other disciplinary action taken. The system is working, but, of course, that is the real point of this. It's to enable Trump to claim that the Mueller investigation is wrong, that Trump's lack of action toward repeated Russian provocations is irrelevant, and that his leadership style and ethics that might work in the business world (the jury's out on this) but works so poorly as a sitting President charged with governing the country is proof he's draining the swamp when he's only making it deeper and filthier.
3
I weep for our country.
67
No, you don't unless they are crocodile tears.
1
Is Trump demanding Sessions fire McCabe so as to create a backlash against Sessions that will fo c him to resign?
5
Vindictive. Zero sum. Petty. Slash-and-burn.
Whose fingerprints do you suppose are on this?
26
Trump can't put his own wife in place these days, what with his Stormy relationship and all, but he can strike out at someone else's wife through her husband. The shifting of action and responsibility combined with vengeance is wearing thin. Jeff Sessions' call for an investigation into the president's Russian contacts resulted in an on-going probe. Manafort is facing possible life-in-prison, and another wingman seems to have been lost.
The problem is that Trump puts himself first. Party, country, god; no matter. He cannot make himself look good, so has chosen throughout his life to make other people look bad. He can't even buy love.
51
"Lack of candor".
I wish that were a fireable offense for members of Congress.
And presidents.
111
This sounds like unbelievable spite. Has the report even been "out" internally long enough for McCabe to reply? If the process involves an appeal to the Attorney General, has Session's review somehow been "expedited?"
Also, I love the idea that Trump and Sessions, of all people, are ganging up to fire someone for alleged "lack of candor." Let's hope that principle gets extended a bit, and applied to a few others we don't need to name. For now, though, this sort of action is pathetic; it represents new depths for this deeply corrupt President.
40
The following is from a CBS report:
"The recommendation is now before Attorney General Jeff Sessions. OPR (Office of Professional Responsibility) has already determined that McCabe should be fired and it's now up to Sessions whether to reverse that recommendation or to accept it."
How does this go "to new depths" for Trump? His own organization (the OPR is a part of the FBI) is saying he should be fired. Take of the rose colored glasses and look at thing without such bias.
1
Let Sunday come and go and leave Andrew McCabe to enjoy his retirement. If only this nightmare of Trump would end then too.
52
More typical stuff. He wasn't 'loyal' enough. He'll be punished. Spineless Sessions will perform another act of complete obeisance in fealty to his Supreme Leader.
40
Excellent idea Trump camp. Fire McCabe just to jack with his pension and earn even more hatred from the career intelligence world.
63
The Trump administration is so paranoid and vindictive that is will pull a pension from a FBI employee. If this happens, I hope Andrew McCabe sues Donald Trump in court.
Firing a man a few days before retirement is the death of reason. It shows how revenge is doled out in the Trump era and how far Republicans will go to set the country back.
Trump begins to remind me of Oliver Cromwell and I wonder if he receives the same fate.
41
To cheat this longtime public servant out of his pension would be simply cruel & criminal. We government attorneys do not make the high salaries we could in the private sector in order to serve our nation. The pension we receive at the end of that service is not nearly what we would have saved from private sector salaries. Mr. McCabe & his family deserve to have at least this security after the Trumpies dragged his good name through the mud.
66
How it's not going to help recuitement of young people - taking McCabe's pension away would be a vicious and colossally bad PR.
20
Maybe that's what he wants. Dictators must always have their way.
Firing him after Trump's tweets would suggest her was fired for political reasons.
With that said, Vanity Fair wrote an article which described the Inspector General, Michael Horowitz, in positive terms and suggested he politics would not sway him. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/02/washington-braces-fbi-bombshell-...
It's too early to make a decision.
2
Put aside for a moment the vindictiveness and petty behavior this shows about Trump, Sessions et al - let's consider what McCabe could do following his termination when he is called by Mueller and the Grand Jury to testify. Why on God's earth would Trump want to take action (that is arguably improper under federal law protecting federal employees) against someone who knows where many of the bodies are buried???
23
The idea is sound. If I had an employee, and he lied to me, I would fire him. If I had an employee, and I discovered that he falsified his job application, I would fire him. More, if I had an employee, and I discovered that he was using business assets to enrich himself personally, I would fire him.
Oh, and hey, doesn't the president work for we the people?
13
Trump works for the people of the United States and has told over 2,000 proven lies in the first year of the Presidency- when can I fire him?
3
"Mr. Trump has goaded Mr. Sessions into taking action against him."
What? As if action is not appropriate?
Are you saying the precedent McCabe has set is to be the new normal?
Not in these United States.
3
What's the precedent? Do you have any idea what happened? Me either.
What is written here indicates that the incident under review involved McCabe sharing a desire to fight to continue investigating Clinton, perhaps via aides and with the approval (yes? no?) of the FBIs Public Affairs group. Is that right?
And if there is some impropriety here, it is enough to fire him days before retirement, and take the pension he has earned over 21 years of service? If this is true, expect no one to want to work for the FBI in the future.
(Something doesn't seem right. 21 years? Is the threshold 20, like the military? Or is it normal federal retirement, which is not all/nothing but hitting 20 years makes it more attractive? Or is it that the offense in question merits not only getting fired but also rescinding pension benefits? Please clarify what the stakes are here.)
7
Just like Trump who doesn't need or won't have a pension. Mr. McCabe is not wealthy and he deserves to remain for four more days until he can get his pension. If Sessions has any decency, he'll ignore Trump.
35
That is a big "IF" statement. Sessions does not have a shred of decency.
Here's hoping!
5
Dear Mr. Mueller,
The situation is getting worse. Trump seems to be getting bolder in his pettiness and cruelty. All those "best people" are leaving in droves. There's a lot on the line here. It's bigger than the people that Trump humiliates every day. He's humiliating all of us. He's not protecting our country. We're counting on you to preserve our union. Please hurry.
Respectfully,
Many Anxious Americans.
78
The best example of a forced resignation, plenty of social media and video evidence. Get the inspector general's notes.
8
This is bizarre and shocking news. This Administration is dangerously out of control. Democracy and Rule of Law in America are in serious jeopardy.
Its time for Muller and the American Public to hold these people to account.
32
"Lack of candor is a fireable offense" -- that's an important norm to uphold. But what use is upholding it in this case when it's brazenly flouted at the highest levels, practically daily?
23
The FBI's downward spiral began in 2016 when James Comey scolded Secretary Clinton for her careless handling of her emails while using a private server. The gift that the FBI and Comey gave the Republicans and the then-GOP nominee
just before the election has haunted the Bureau ever since. Comey is gone and McCabe is on his way out as well. For all the FBI's troubles, the thankless president has thrown the agency under the bus.
16
I hope Attorney General Sessions has the integrity and backbone to do the right thing. Problem is, if he does do the right thing and allow Mr. McCabe to retire with respect and dignity, he might find himself in the Donald's crosshairs again.
7
How many people's career or reputation has Trump harmed so far?
Some being fired may deserve so because they chose to work for or be associated with Trump. But not Comey or McCabe and many senior diplomats in the state department.
In normal time, these public servants' career would have run its natural course, not been severed prematurely by being fired or resigning.
I feel bad for Mr. McCabe not only because of being fired for (no concrete reason but for political expediency) but because of losing his 21-year hard-earned pension.
Trump's presidency has so many vices. One of them is ruining many dedicated public servants' career. We all know they don't deserve it.
13
Even if McCabe, a career FBI agent and a Repblican (!), is fired, Trump's public bashing of him may help him get his pension, because he was meddling in the status of a non-political appointee. Whatever your politics, the idea of robbing the guy of his hard-earned pension should be abhorrent to all decent people.
1074
"Whatever your politics, the idea of robbing the guy of his hard-earned pension should be abhorrent to all decent people."
Abhorrent...and a bold-faced effort to intimidate and control the actions of career civil servants. If this is not illegal, it should be.
14
decency ? well that's and idea or concept republicans ceased to recognize or practice since long before 2016
11
Hey, McCabe's wife did NOT run as a Republican, she got $700,000 in campaign funds from Democrats, in a losing effort.
Which stinks to high heaven, an FBI executive's family taking money from politicians.
You're welcome, Al.
Retaliation is still illegal. If they fire McCabe, he will prevail in a court of law.
Trump and his minions are a vengeful and small-minded lot. They're building quite a case for interference in legal processes they are bound to leave alone. Mueller is taking lots of notes!
---
www.rimaregas.com
398
Fired for cause eliminates the retaliation rule. Human Resource Office knows that.
McCabe, his office is where Strzok and Page were discussing the insurance policy in case Trump happened to beat Hillary. The news about the politicization of the FBI and its leadership at least, but the leadership clearly interested in a protecting Hillary and not prosecute her, ’cause really that was about protecting Obama, now. It’s no question that they were doing everything they could to make sure Hillary was not charged, not indicted, and everything they could do to see that she was elected. And Comey was in on that as well. There’s no doubt about that. The texts indicate that.
5
Perjury which is what you call being less than candid under oath is a felony. Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice and Obstruction of Justice as well as destruction of criminal evidence are all felonies. He should just be fired he should be prosecuted, along with Comey and the rest of corrupt FBI leadership.
1
Neal,
Even if the tale you tell were true, they'd have to prove it, give him his chance to defend himself and only, were they to prevail, would they then be able to fire him.
With as much information as there is in the public domain about what McCabe's superiors have been saying, a firing days before his retirement can only be interpreted as retaliation.
The Fox News narrative you present is invalid in sullying a stellar career.
18
The irony: "The article was a negative one for the Clinton campaign — not Mr. Trump." So Sessions will fire McCabe for something that arguably helped Trump.
81
A more vile person (trump) and party of misanthropes that has ever been!
192
Or will ever be....
2
Irregardless of the legal implications of firing McCabe, (which are considerable) Moreover if McCabe is fired it will show how petty and mean spirited Trump is. What a vindictive small selfish man. Sadly the angry evil person that demands fealty and constant praise is The President of the United States.
237
For Sessions to fire McCabe for “lack of candor” is positively laughable, ludicrous, and ironic, since, after all, Sessions himself has been caught while testifying exhibiting “lack of candor.” And our President — wouldn’t know the truth if he tripped over it. Yes, the idea of firing McCabe so he cannot collect his well earned and deserved pension stinks to high heaven and is vile and is small minded and is
vengeance filled.
18
Mean spirited? Here's mean spirited: McCabe, his office is where Strzok and Page were discussing the insurance policy in case Trump happened to beat Hillary. The news about the politicization of the FBI and its leadership at least, but the leadership clearly interested in a protecting Hillary and not prosecute her, ’cause really that was about protecting Obama, now. It’s no question that they were doing everything they could to make sure Hillary was not charged, not indicted, and everything they could do to see that she was elected. And Comey was in on that as well. There’s no doubt about that. The texts indicate that.
Irregardless is not a Standard English word though it is spoken and used commonly by people. Irregardless has even been given an entry in some dictionaries of the world. It is really funny to know that people use irregardless when they actually mean regardless. We know that regardless itself means without regards, then adding a prefix of ir to regardless makes it a double negative word having no meaning. Thus, adding ir prefix to regardless makes it a word that would mean without without regards or in other words a nonsense word.
How he fired Comey, how he fired Tillerson, all vendetta type firings.
10
They really would stoop this low?
102
Of course they would. Why would anyone think they wouldn't?
7
Probably.
1
Whenever you think Trump can't go any lower ... he stoops even lower.
4
Do it! Fire him.
9
He's going to retire and be gone by Sunday... are you that heartless that you'd deny him his pension after 21 years of service?
1
This sums up Donald J Trump quite succinctly. Petty. Like a child. In fact, he's worse than a child. The concern here --other than McCabe being cheated out of his pension-- is whether Sessions has been given an ultimatum from Trump: fire McCabe or I will fire you.
236
And wouldn't Mueller want to know about this pattern of firing top FBI officials. Wouldn't this just echo the Comey firing? Obstruction of justice.
7
I imagine that BOTH are destined for that fate.
It will do one thing: Embolden everyone who is repulsed by Trump to vote.
(This behavior from he former party of law and order, what a pathetic end it is coming to.)
Can we fire Sessions and Trump for "lack of candor"? Our country has turned into a frightening Reality TV show. This is how Trump and Co. reward a 21-year FBI veteran for his service (because his wife ran as a Dem). Disgusting!
453
My sentiments exactly.
4
Sessions may fire McCabe because the latter one was not forthcoming during the review.
Session himself was not forthcoming when questioned by senators about his contacts with the Russians.
Kushner was not forthcoming about the Russian contacts when seeking high security clearance.
Don Jr and Co (to the tune of his father aiding him with an email on the very subject) maintain that the White House meeting with Veselnitskaya was all about adoption.
All those individuals are left in their position, but McCabe is to be fired. Justice in America ...
471
And the least forthcoming of all has been trump himself. Still waiting for those tax returns, donnie.
24
And we don't even know if McCabe was forthcoming or not.
2
Donald Trump remains unforthcoming about his tax returns..
6
Mr. Bone Spurs was afraid of combat. He has been afraid all his life. He is now afraid that he will be impeached or found complicit with the Russians by Mueller. His fear compels him to malign McCabe.
If McCabe did something wrong in the HRC matter, Trump could have taken action long ago. Delayed action cannot be justified, especially since Trump still plays off of "Lock her up." The timing of today's complaints, is a clear sign DT is terrified the pot is about to boil over and he will be cooked.
225
Afraid of more than combat: Being naked in a group of REAL men who would make fun of his tiny "package".
3
He's also afraid to face anyone to fire them in person.
6
This would be nothing but revenge against a political opponent, even if it is one step removed.
Mr. Mueller, we are counting on you to not let this country sink as to the despair of Venezuela.
179
Nah - Mueller investigation will fall apart just like Russian collusion and the phony dossier. Mueller has nothing that will lead to Trump
It’s sad when Americans are hoping Mueller is their savior.
1
You're privy to his evidence and investigation, are you? No? Then you actually know nothing, right?
3
Yet the dossier, even if only 5% accurate is closer to the truth then "no criminal conspiracy" with Russia by Trump campaign. Do we need to firewall all of Russia to see stop lies?
2
Hang on, Mr. McCabe might be fired days before his retirement, and this is news for some reason? Everybody working for Trump could be fired for no reason with no notice, that's how it's been so far. People find out they're fired by viewing a tweet, by seeing it on the news, by getting the word as they're ushered off the presidential plane onto the tarmac.
So of course he could be fired, and since he's going to retire anyway, so what? Whomever fills his shoes could easily be fired within a month too, nobody working for Trump has job security except Ivana.
3
The "so what" in this case is Trump and Co. firing him days before he's eligible to collect the pension he's worked 22 years for.
12
He is not a political appointee. That's an differentiating fact.
7
Here's the news, Dan:
Andrew McCabe has earned his pension.
The cast of White House Apprentice has earned
derision.
13
If he is fired, he should sue for redress and use the trial as an opportunity to air all the dirty laundry, including deposing Sessions and if it goes there, Trump.
692
Yes !
2
Great point. In fact, Sessions might think the same thing and avoid firing him in order to avoid the potential lawsuit or conceivably (though it would be a long shot) this becoming yet another prong of the Mueller investigation.
3
And finally bring to the open all the corrupt actions taken by the establishment FBI against US citizens like Donald Trump.
Whether this guy has done wrong or not, firing him less than a week before he gets his pension and after 21 years of service for what appears to be at most a possible single mistake is just mean-spirited. And of course we should all be shocked, shocked.
162
If they do fire him there is definitely more to it than what is being publicly revealed.
4
Shocked? This is predictable behavior for the small minded, moronic, petty and self absorbed fool that currently holds the office of President of the United States. This is not shocking in the least.
9
Oh please Sessions, fire McCabe. Then watch a wave of agents leave the FBI. Who, in their right mind, would take a job in government that can be dangerous, take you away from home for months, and pays less than you can make in the private security sector, only to be possibly fired because some elected official picks you as a target?
270
Sure, that's what Putin would like: further weaken and demoralize the FBI.
10
Who? People who love power, that's who.
They get paid just fine, retire young with great pensions. Government jobs were lousy when corporate jobs lasted a career, that dynamic has changed.
Maybe causing a wave of agents to leave government is intentional. Trump can replace them with his loyalists and/or who have ties to Russia. Trump appointed to lead the Department of Justice's Criminal Division the lawyer who represented Russia's Alfa Bank. Brian Benczkowski worked for Russia's Alfa Bank up to his appointment hearings. He also ran the Trump transition team at the Justice Department and once served as a staff director of the committee for former Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala..Alfa Bank is one of Russia's largest with ties to President Vladimir Putin.
"As the head of the Criminal Division, Benczkowski could sit in on meetings with special counsel Robert Mueller on his team's ongoing Russia probe."
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/justice-department-nominee-with-ties-...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/us/politics/brian-benczkowski-justice...
The Deputy Director is set to retire Sunday, yet the AG may fire him before then in order to deny him his pension? To do this would seem to be incredibly petty and mean spirited! Yet, in the continuing melodrama of the Trump presidency and his whipping boy AG, who can predict with accuracy what will happen?
268
Under federal retirement you collect your pension after acquiring a certain number of years and reaching a qualifying age. He has the years of service but not the age. When he reaches 62 he can apply for his retirement and start receiving it.
Jeff (Mr. "I don't think I can recall!") Sessions firing Mr McCabe for "not being forthcoming under oath." is almost too hypocritical to wrap one's mind around!
While I'm no fan of McCabe or Sessions, it just strikes me as way unfair for ol Jeff to be calling out someone for doing something he seems to pride himself in doing...
555
After serving his country honorably for an entire career, 2 days away from retirement? Trump wants to deprive the man of his earned retirement, and damage his reputation?
This is the flashing sign warning all about tRump: "I aspire to despotism and thuggery "
655
Wow, just like how the pensions of 87-year-old Congressmen who spent 54 years on the taxpayer dime, they should not be affected by sexual harassment investigations? What a great country! (Not).
Does your definition of honorable include lying, conniving, and obfuscation?
Let me understand this. McCabes possible firing because of lack of candor, is to be decided by Jeff Sessions who has exhibited everything but candor regarding his past Russian meetings.
842
What's your point?
1
Rebecca-- tell me is pointing out the irony.
10
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander" and It is a short worm that does't turn" are a couple of sayings that Sessions should keep in mind when deciding. Sessions has Mueller risks, as a conspirator, lying to Feds, or Obstruction of Justice. If I were Sessions, I would not be making waves
49
If Trump fires McCabe, or orders Sessions et al. to do that, before he can retire, it cannot stop McCabe from being questioned by Mueller, and/or Mueler's grand jury.
If Trump does that he's not the genius that he says he is, and may pay a huge price in any event.
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McCabe will be asked a lot of questions soon.
He will take the 5th.
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I would hope that it would mean that McCabe would be at Mueller's office on Monday, freed from any employment reticence, to spill his guts. I call it, "The Comey Effect."
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Huh ?
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The Spiter-In-Chief keeps working hard to destroy the United States government in order to satisfy his own massive inferiority-complex.
"Lack of candor is a fireable offense", unless you're the Liar-In-Chief.
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"Mr. Trump has repeatedly remarked on the fact that Mr. McCabe’s wife, Jill, ran as a Democrat"....Absolute proof of criminal intent.
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Did you forget that "under oath" part?
Pick and choose much?
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Exactly . I agree he is not only purposefully trying, but succeeding in destroying the United States of America.
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