Findings on McCabe referred to prosecutors
Criminal findings pit ex-FBI deputy director against president
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s inspector general has referred to federal prosecutors his findings that Andrew McCabe, the former FBI deputy director, had misled investigators, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday. The prosecutors will now have to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to open a criminal investigation.
The referral came days after the inspector general, Michael Horowitz, released a report accusing McCabe of demonstrating a lack of candor and releasing sensitive information related to an ongoing criminal investigation.
The referral, though a relatively common step when an inspector general finds possible wrongdoing, is the latest blow to McCabe’s reputation. He was fired from the FBI in March over the allegations. Horowitz had concluded that McCabe was less than forthcoming when questioned by investigators about the disclosure of information to a Wall Street Journal reporter about an ongoing criminal investigation into the Clinton Foundation.
The inspector general’s decision is all but certain to provide President Donald Trump with more ammunition to attack McCabe, whom he has repeatedly lambasted as a deep-state bureaucrat working in concert with former FBI Director James Comey to undermine Trump’s legitimacy.
The FBI and the Justice Department have come under scrutiny by Trump and his allies as the investigation by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, continues. Trump sees Comey and McCabe at the center of what he perceives as a “witch hunt.”
The inspector general’s report determined that on four occasions, McCabe demonstrated a lack of candor in talking to investigators. The report also said McCabe improperly shared information about the Clinton Foundation investigation.
The inspector general concluded that that engagement initiated by McCabe had not been justified and constituted misconduct.
Horowitz is expected to release another report summarizing an examination of the FBI’s actions during the 2016 election.
The criminal referral Thursday ratchets up an already corrosive atmosphere pitting McCabe and Comey against the president.
Comey, author of a new book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, has gone on tour and mounted a broadside against Trump, saying he is not fit to hold office. Comey’s comments have infuriated the president who has fired back that the former director was the worst in FBI history.