Trump, FBI’s McCabe launch war of words
Ousted deputy director says he no longer will be silent
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and fired FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe have unleashed a war of words over McCabe’s abrupt dismissal, with the president calling it a “great day.”
The ousted FBI official said he would no longer remain silent after an “unrelenting assault” by Trump and other critics on his reputation and service.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced late Friday that he fired McCabe effective immediately – barely 48 hours before his full retirement benefits would have set in after 21 years of service with the FBI.
McCabe, who had announced his intention to resign in January, was fired in the midst of a review into the FBI’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state.
Sessions, in a statement, said McCabe’s firing was the result of an “extensive and fair” probe of alleged misconduct, which concluded that he had made “an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor − including under oath − on multiple occasions.”
Trump, who has castigated McCabe publicly, applauded Sessions’ decision early Saturday, calling it “a great day for democracy.”
McCabe shot back at his critics with a lengthy statement.
“Articles too numerous to count have leveled every sort of false, defamatory and degrading allegation against us,” he said. “The President’s tweets have amplified and exacerbated it all. He called for my firing. He called for me to be stripped of my pension after more than 20 years of service.”
Amid such criticism, McCabe said, he had remained silent “never wanting to distract from the mission of the FBI by addressing the lies told and repeated about us.” But, he added, “No more.”
“It is part of this Administration’s ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the Special Counsel investigation, which continue to this day,” he said in the statement. “Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the Special Counsel’s work.”
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., announced Saturday that he has offered a security post to McCabe.
“Andrew McCabe’s firing makes it clear that President Trump is doing everything he can to discredit the FBI and undermine the Special Counsel’s investigation,” Pocan said in a news release announcing the offer.
“While Speaker (Paul) Ryan and House Republicans have become complicit in the President’s destruction of our democracy, we must do all that we can to ensure that the investigation into Russia’s interference in our election is completed and that future elections are safeguarded from these kinds of attacks.”
Pocan’s offer follows news reports suggesting that McCabe could still receive his benefits if he works two more days in a federal agency.
Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel contributed.