Told Friends He Felt Pressure to Leave
Andrew McCabe was forced out of his job as Deputy Director of the FBI “under pressure,” The New York Times has just confirmed. McCabe, 49, served in government for 22 years, but had become a frequent target for President Trump, who has politicized attacks on the nation’s intelligence services since taking office. McCabe left his job suddenly Monday, rather than accept a different job before his retirement went into effect.
“In a recent conversation, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director,” the Times reports, “suggested moving Mr. McCabe into another job, which would have been a demotion.”
McCabe has been “telling friends he felt pressure from head of the bureau to leave,” The Times notes, citing two people close to him. McCabe’s sudden departure from the Bureau Monday was effective immediately, after a planned retirement scheduled for March.
Even after 22 years of service, the FBI did not announce McCabe’s departure, “leaving agents to learn of it from news reports.”
At least a half-dozen times on Twitter, and several times in the press, President Trump has attacked McCabe, a career civil servant.
Earlier reports Monday from CBS News, Fox News, and CNN all stated McCabe’s sudden departure was not of his choosing.Â
Image by U.S. Embassy New Delhi via Flickr and a CC licenseÂ
Â