Agent Andrew McCabe Fired, Reportedly Kept Memos

By Jeralyn, Section Trump Administration
Posted on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 02:52:23 PM EST
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It's pretty cruel to fire a career FBI agent two days before his official retirement so he'd be at risk of losing his retirement, but that's Donald Trump. Jefferson Sessions did the dirty work.

The Associated Press reports McCabe kept memos of his interactions with Trump and with James Comey. The New York Times reports:

Mr. McCabe’s memos were left at the F.B.I., which means that Mr. Mueller’s investigators have access to them as they work to corroborate Mr. Comey’s account.

McCabe reportedly met with Trump three times. [More...]

According to the AP article, CIA Director John Brennan, took to Twitter after McCabe's firing to blast Trump:

“When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America...America will triumph over you.”

< Wife of Don. Jr. Files for Divorce | Trump to Seek Harsher Penalty for Drug Crimes and Limit Pain Pill >

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Agent Andrew McCabe Fired, Reportedly Kept Memos | 68 comments (68 topical)

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I feel (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by linea on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 04:42:18 PM EST

This is a fair and nuanced analysis of the firing:

What We Know, and Don't Know, About the Firing of Andrew McCabe

The Gist Is (none / 0) (#9)
by RickyJim on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 05:50:18 PM EST

The report will be issued sometime in the Spring and until then we probably won't know what sins McCabe committed and whether or not the firing was justified.

Parent

Not my take of the lawfare link. (none / 0) (#28)
by ragebot on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 10:08:47 AM EST

Here it the key blurb from the article:

Even if the Justice Department's process proves pure as the driven snow and the case against McCabe proves compelling, who is going to believe--in the face of overt presidential demands for a corrupt Justice Department--that a Justice Department that gives the president what he wants is anything less than the lackey he asks for? The Justice Department career officials involved in this action know this. They know they are being made to look like lackeys, which may be reason to assume that they will have dotted every "i" and crossed every "t" in this instance--and that the facts against McCabe must be bad.

No question McCabe getting fired made Trump happy; but that does not mean there was not good reason for him getting fired.

Let's not forget that the IG report could recommend criminal charges for McCabe; something that would dot a lot of "i"s and cross a lot of "t"s.

Parent

And as pointed out (none / 0) (#29)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 10:28:18 AM EST

Several times this morning any action, including taking his pension, could have been done after he retired. Assuming any a tion was justified.

Sane people across party lines are horrified at the way this was done.

Trump once again is to stupid to get out of his own way. There was this report. If he had just STFU he had a win but now he has made it totally political and creepy.

Parent

My Daddy use to say (none / 0) (#34)
by ragebot on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 12:19:08 PM EST

"I don't get ulcers, I give ulcers". Trump is capable of creating tweets that launch a million posts. I am sure he does things like outrageous tweets simply to get in peeps minds. If you read the blurb in my previous post it seems clear the IG recommended firing McCabe despite, not because of, what Trump had been tweeting in the past.

I suspect there is a lot more in the IG's report than what we now know and McCabe may well be facing criminal charges. By putting up a huge smoke screen Trump can rile up the natives to post things defending the indefensible. Maybe Trump had something to do with the difficult to explain timing but others have pointed out unless the firing was done quickly it would not have any affect on the pension.

My understanding is it will only affect about 20% of the total pension when McCabe was upper management but not the other 80% when he was a line guy is not affected.

The bigger question for me is why so many folks here allow Trump to live rent free in their minds. I view him as a loud mouth bully who views women as disposable and while seeming to fire from the hip often is able to inflame his (in his mind) opponents to the extent that they do things they normally would not. Course I could be wrong, but I still dismiss a lot of his public statements out of hand.

But I have to ask what is the over/under McCabe, and maybe Comey, is/are criminally charged. To me this is a much more important question than a non issue about the timing of McCabe's termination. No one is really serious about him not getting a pension. As several other posts have noted he has a lot of protection; in some sense like OJ had his pension protected (and what OJ did is much worse than anything McCabe did). The timing of the firing will be forgotten quickly; but what happened at DOJ/FBI will be in the headlines for some time. Keep your eye on the ball and don't let Trump pull a sleigh of hand on you to change the subject.

Parent

Trump's (none / 0) (#37)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 01:31:20 PM EST

statements are going to be used in a court of law so they are worth paying attention to. Basically though I don't really care what he actually says due to the fact that he is really only communicating with his cult. They eat up the crap he spews. I talked to one today who still thinks that the dossier is fake because Hillary funded it. No knowledge of the fact that the GOP funded it first and no knoweldge of what actually set off the investigation of Trump was his own campaign admitting to the Australians that they were colluding with Russia.

Parent

Ulcers (none / 0) (#41)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 05:09:01 PM EST

Are caused by a bacterial infection

Parent

Yep (5.00 / 1) (#42)
by Zorba on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 05:45:04 PM EST

Helicobacter pylori.

Parent

How do you get ulcers then? (none / 0) (#44)
by fishcamp on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 06:19:11 PM EST

Parent

: You get (none / 0) (#45)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 06:26:37 PM EST

infected with the H. pylori bacterium.

Parent
: one can get an ulcer from (none / 0) (#46)
by leap on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 07:07:41 PM EST

taking ibuprofen, as well. That's how I got a stomach ulcer. I avoid that stuff like the plague.

Parent

I particularly enjoyed Nancy Sinatra's tweet... (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by desertswine on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 07:20:48 PM EST

"You are a dirty bastard @jeffsessions How dare you take a man's pension away. A man who has served our country well for twenty years. You can't lick Andrew McCabe's shoes."

McCabe will win on appeal (4.67 / 3) (#12)
by Towanda on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 06:35:16 PM EST

(see previous thread re that word from a federal labor lawyer with decades of employment litigation) especially with the large, loudmouthed orange lout's twets today as evidence that this action was partly political. (That is, unless McCabe's egregious actions were even worse than what we know as of now.)

Or McCabe could simply accept the offer from one of my state's Congressmen, Mark Pocan, to do two days' work in his office in the Capitol, federal work to complete the time requirement for the pension. Oh, it would be fun to see McCabe work the Capitol for a couple of days, wouldn't it?

Btw, watch Pocan. He is new to Congress but has long legislative experiencd in fighting Scott Walker, always in wise ways and often with a wit that makes for good media play.

I think to get his pension McCabe would (none / 0) (#15)
by caseyOR on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 07:37:44 PM EST

have to work a federal law enforcement job. Works g for a member of Congress will not do it.

Parent

I think federal civil service (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by Chuck0 on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 10:01:31 PM EST

is federal civil service. I don't think the nature of the job matters. Federal workers change jobs and agencies all the time. Their GS rating goes with them. I had friends who left the Army and went to work for USPS and their years of Army service counted towards seniority and retirement.

Parent

: This is correct, according to (none / 0) (#18)
by Towanda on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 10:27:28 PM EST

federal employees I know. They're not FBI, though, so perhaps i is some weird exception.
But transferable service time earned is how this works in state government, at least in my state. It worked for me.

Parent

Pocon is said to have offerred McCabe.. (none / 0) (#16)
by desertswine on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 08:41:58 PM EST

some sort of security position. I don't know if that would qualify him.

Parent

: Well, the offer as tweeted (none / 0) (#19)
by Towanda on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 10:34:03 PM EST

by Rep. Pocan is for McCabe to spend two days writing a report on a major crime family that recently relocated to Washington, D.C. And yes, that crime faculy is causing concern about our national security.

Parent

Brennan's tweet is awesome (1.00 / 1) (#3)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 05:06:11 PM EST

It sounds like a man to use any means fair or foul against the target of his hatred.

Thank you (5.00 / 5) (#5)
by Ga6thDem on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 05:10:34 PM EST

for pointing out the idiocy of conservatives in your post.

You simply cannot understand that it is not about hatred or dislike but selling the country out to an enemy.

Parent

Except Brennan (5.00 / 2) (#6)
by MKS on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 05:22:36 PM EST

is no longer in government.

Parent

He was (none / 0) (#20)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 10:45:27 PM EST

when the Clinton campaign dossier was being treated as gospel.

Parent

Are you really that stupid (5.00 / 4) (#24)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 08:19:42 AM EST

as to not to know that the GOP were the original funders of the dossier and most of the dossier has been proven true over time? And I guess you also don't know that Trump's own campaign is the one that set off the FBI investigation by telling the Austrailians they were colluding?

Sheesh are you a Russian troll?

Parent

Crazy talk (1.00 / 1) (#36)
by linea on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 01:29:12 PM EST

Wow. In my opinion, the inability of many on this site to rationally analyze the situation with the Steele dossier is at PizzaGate levels. It is opposition research (which by definition includes rumour and gossip), that's all.

No, the GOP were not the original funders of the dossier. Fusion GPS provided opposition research to numerous people and both political parties. However, Steele was not hired to dig up Russian dirt on Trump until after the DNC/Clinton campaign laundered money through a law firm to fund the effort.

No, most of the dossier has not been proven true over time. Unless you include information that was already available through public source research, the conspiratorial and salacious allegations remain unverified. Buzzfeed, the owners of Fusion GPS, and Steele are all being sued for defamation by multiple people in the US and UK. Steele was recently ordered to sit for a deposition in the UK (we will know more as the lawsuits progress) but he has already admitted that his opposition research was and remains unverified and in some instances is unverifiable.

However, that's not to say there wasn't some violation of campaign law, reporting law, or conspiracy with a foreign government that occurred at the Trump Tower meeting. And it's not to say that the Russians aren't a dangerous criminal government that is engaging in murder and active military hostilities against their democratic neighbors — they are and should be rejected and isolated by every democratic nation on earth.

Obviously the Trump administration hearts the Russians (because illegal moneys routed through the Russian mafia for construction projects) but the Democratics have been pretty lenient with the Russians too (because of general corporate business interests). Pretty sure if a Democratic Party candidate wins the next election, we will see a few additional tepid sanctions described as `targeting specific individuals.' But business will continue unabated and most everyone on this forum will be perfectly happy with a few symbolic sanctions because a Democrat is in office. My opinion.

Parent

Well (5.00 / 3) (#38)
by Towanda on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 02:19:21 PM EST

all of the sources that I have read on the dossier's origins and veracity say otherwise, and they are reputable major media, with many sources stated.

So, your sources are. . . ?

Parent

You seriously (5.00 / 4) (#39)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 02:52:13 PM EST

have got crazy talk. I don't know who your sources are but paying a lawyer to have oppo research done is not "money laundering".

And the GOP was funding the dossier and using GPS too. I mean none of this secret but seriously like Towanda says where do you get your information from?

Parent

Before you start with the ... (5.00 / 3) (#48)
by Yman on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 08:10:26 PM EST

... "Pizzagate" references and pretending you're even remotely qualified to lecture others about how to "rationally analyze" anything, you might want to stop with tinfoil accusations of "money laundering". The and only then can you launch into fantasies about what real Democrats will do, at which point real Democrats will just point and laugh.

Parent

No, linea (5.00 / 4) (#49)
by MKS on Mon Mar 19, 2018 at 02:55:03 PM EST

First, the portions of the Steel dossier relied upon for the warrant were non-salacious.

Much, if not "most" of the Steele dossier has been corroborated.

Second, I don't think any portion has been disproved, although you were convinced the testimony of his bodyquard (that he stood in front of Trump's door for 30 minutes and then left) somehow disproved the pee tape. But the more we hear about Stormy Daniels, the more plausible it seems.

Parent

: According (5.00 / 4) (#50)
by FlJoe on Mon Mar 19, 2018 at 03:41:17 PM EST

to Glenn Simpson's(Fusion) testimony,the FBI already knew some of what Steele told them when he first went to them. That almost certainly included the activities of Page, who had been on their radar for years.
As to hookers in Moscow
Donald Trump was so eager to have Vladimir Putin attend the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow that he wrote a personal letter to the Russian president inviting him to the event, according to multiple people familiar with the document.
At the bottom of the typed letter, Trump scrawled a postscript adding that he looked forward to seeing "beautiful" women during his trip.
....just saying.

Parent

What an absurd comment (5.00 / 3) (#31)
by MKS on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 11:45:28 AM EST

I doubt one word of your comment is close to even being plausibly true.

Parent

Isn't that what Trump just did? (5.00 / 4) (#8)
by Militarytracy on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 05:27:42 PM EST

Using any means fair or foul against the targets of his hatred.

Parent

The truth hurts, huh? (5.00 / 3) (#11)
by Yman on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 06:03:31 PM EST

"Any means fair or foul"? That almost sounds like an accusation. One that's completely baseless and wrapped in tinfoil. Is that all you guys can come up with these days?

Parent

Cry us all a river (5.00 / 3) (#23)
by jondee on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 07:35:28 AM EST

and play us a SAD! plaintive tune on the world's smallest violin..

Brennan articulately used the means fully approved by a sh*theel against that same (inarticulate) sh*theel.

Parent

Quote the summary (none / 0) (#2)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 04:57:05 PM EST

The OPR recommended dismissal for "lack of candor" which apparently is standard policy. Sessions is being faulted for not making an exception for McCabe.

Flynn on the other hand is facing time in the slammer for lack of candor. Being fired is a slap on the wrist by comparison.

You actually BELIEVE that ... (5.00 / 3) (#10)
by Yman on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 06:01:25 PM EST

... garbage? That McCabe's firing - a day before he was to retire - wasn't a blatant political act of petty revenge?

Heh, heh, heh ...

That's funny.

BTW - Flynn actually plead guilty to a felony - lying to the FBI. "Lack of candor" - even if one actually believes that's why he was fired - is not a crime at all.

But you already knew that.

Parent

Lying under oath to the IG is not a crime? (1.00 / 1) (#21)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 10:50:00 PM EST

Well live and learn.

Parent

Apparently, you don't (5.00 / 3) (#22)
by Yman on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 01:45:32 AM EST

McCabe hadn't even been accused/charged with "lying under oath", let alone convicted. But you already knew that, which is why you had to resort to an accusation by "question".

Heh, heh, heh ...

Parent

Read the link from the very first post. (1.00 / 1) (#27)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 10:04:13 AM EST

He was under oath when showing "lack of candor." Lack of candor is euphemism for telling a lie.

You are right he was not charged, only fired. Don't fret for the guy, his book deal with this notoriety will dwarf the pension. Financially Sessions did him a favor.

Parent

: He has not been (5.00 / 1) (#32)
by MKS on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 11:52:57 AM EST

charged.
Your interpretation does not matter.
Your Trump boosting is trollish behavior.

Parent
: No, it's not a "euphemism" (5.00 / 1) (#47)
by Yman on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 08:04:47 PM EST

"Lack of candor" - assuming it's true - can mean a wide range statements that are not lies. "Lack of candor" is not a crime. Lying to the FBI IS a crime, as at least two of Trump's campaign associates can tell you, since they've already been convicted of lying - oddly enough, both lied about their contacts with the Russians.
Maybe a dictionary would help?

Parent

Could the dismissal (none / 0) (#4)
by Ga6thDem on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 05:09:16 PM EST

not wait 2 days? Could he not go ahead and be allowed to retire? This is INCREDIBLY stupid because now Trump looks to be tampering with witnesses and obstructing justice once again. How many counts of obstruction is Mueller going to have against Trump? 20? 50? Whatever the number at his age he is going to die in prison.

Parent

Funny (none / 0) (#7)
by Militarytracy on Sat Mar 17, 2018 at 05:26:08 PM EST

Pretty sure Flynn has fearlessly hit the campaign trail. The speed with which it was decided that McCabe needed some firing is unheard of in such situations. I look forward to him winning his full pension in court and the rest of us finding out EVERYTHING!

This corrupt administration is worse than Nixon's. Whole text books will be written on this $h*t if we make it through.

Parent

No support for (none / 0) (#25)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 09:51:03 AM EST

Handling of McCabe on the morning shows except for Randy (Curley Top) Paul.

Also pretty much universal agreement across parties that any interference with the Mueller investigation would be very ill advised.

Tho admitted by some that the interference might need to happen to trigger the inevitable sh!tstorm

OTOH (none / 0) (#26)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 09:55:28 AM EST

Credit to Curley where it's due, he says he will block both Pompeo and Haspel.

I will not hold my breath on that.

Parent

For example (none / 0) (#30)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 11:14:57 AM EST

Gowdy admits Americans should not trust House Intel Comm should trust Mueller instead

Parent

The GOP (none / 0) (#33)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 12:14:39 PM EST

might be starting to prep their cult for the oncoming onslaught. I don't know but seriously the cult is going to be a problem as you well know.

Parent

And the cult controls... (none / 0) (#40)
by Dadler on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 04:50:23 PM EST

...close to the entirety of guns and ammo in this nation. Not even close. Such is the right wing. Plus, lest we forget, law enforcement and the military are right wing by their reactionary natures.

Parent

{{Waves}} (none / 0) (#43)
by Zorba on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 05:46:17 PM EST

Hi, Dadler, how you doing?

Parent

Doing well (5.00 / 1) (#51)
by Dadler on Mon Mar 19, 2018 at 07:17:58 PM EST

Compiling a poetry collection an editor friend of mine wants to publish, if I can manage not to phuck it up. But you know me, I'm good at that. XO

Parent

: Don't beat yourself up (5.00 / 4) (#52)
by jondee on Mon Mar 19, 2018 at 07:27:39 PM EST

thats our job.
How you doin' young man? I hope everythings well with you.

Parent
: Good luck (5.00 / 1) (#53)
by Zorba on Mon Mar 19, 2018 at 07:57:08 PM EST

and you won't phuck it up. You're a very talented guy.
Don't run yourself down. ❤️

Parent

Just heard why they care (none / 0) (#35)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Mar 18, 2018 at 12:19:21 PM EST

Infidelity could effect Melanias pre nup

Rhu rho.

Can you explain the expression (5.00 / 1) (#56)
by Peter G on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 08:51:32 AM EST

"rhu rho" please? I couldn't find any explanation of it by googling. Never heard it before.

Parent

You (5.00 / 1) (#57)
by FlJoe on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 08:58:17 AM EST

Never saw Scooby-Doo? What a sheltered life you have led.

It was the tag-line for the Great Dane who was the star of the cartoon, uttered at least once an episode when the sh*t was about to hit the fan for him and his teenage pals.

Parent

: Ha (5.00 / 1) (#59)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 09:10:32 AM EST

Great minds....

Parent
: If it weren't (5.00 / 2) (#63)
by coast on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 11:52:12 AM EST

For those meddling kids Peter would know what you were talking about.

Parent

What a sad (none / 0) (#58)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 09:10:10 AM EST

and lonely childhood

you must have had Peter

Parent

I see that this "Scooby Doo" of which (5.00 / 1) (#64)
by Peter G on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 02:30:32 PM EST

you speak debuted on television when I was already a junior in college, and too busy ending the War in Vietnam and listening to Hendrix to watch cartoons. Has nothing to do with my sad and lonely childhood, if any.

Parent

"Childhood" (none / 0) (#65)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 03:38:57 PM EST

Is an age relative term

Parent

Yeah, if we extolled the virtues... (none / 0) (#66)
by unitron on Thu Mar 22, 2018 at 01:13:01 AM EST

...of Ruff and Reddy, or Beanie and Cecil, or Top Cat, they'd just have blank looks on their faces.

Parent

More (5.00 / 1) (#68)
by FlJoe on Thu Mar 22, 2018 at 07:26:37 AM EST

to the point Rocky, Bullwinkle, Boris and Natasha.

Parent

: Don't forget... (none / 0) (#69)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Mar 22, 2018 at 08:16:21 AM EST

Fearless Leader.

Parent

If only (none / 0) (#67)
by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 22, 2018 at 07:14:25 AM EST

That was true

Parent

That was a joke Peter (none / 0) (#60)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 10:39:05 AM EST

:(

Parent

It's just uh-oh with r's: "ruh-roh" (none / 0) (#61)
by Anne on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 10:55:43 AM EST

Howdy's spelling reads - to me - like "roo-row," which wouldn't make sense to me, either!

Parent

: Dog (none / 0) (#62)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 11:32:41 AM EST

wind
PS
I did the digital compositing on the fire shot

Parent

Mebbe she is smarter (none / 0) (#54)
by MKS on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 08:44:01 AM EST

than she looks.....

Parent

: I have suspected that (none / 0) (#55)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 20, 2018 at 08:49:35 AM EST

For a while. Said a while back she seemed to be the only one who knew exactly what she was doing.

Parent

Agent Andrew McCabe Fired, Reportedly Kept Memos | 68 comments (68 topical)

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