The case of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired in March, has been referred to federal prosecutors by the Department of Justice’s Inspector General for possible charges. McCabe was fired in March by Attorney General Jeff Sessions after the Inspector General determined that McCabe had lacked candor, including under oath. Lack of candor means that the Inspector General determined that McCabe was judged to have intentionally tried to mislead or deceive those who were questioning him, without actually saying anything false.
Last week another report made by the Inspector General was publicized, this time concluding that McCabe on several occasions misled investigators looking into how sensitive information about ongoing investigations was making its way into the national media ahead of the 2016 Presidential election. The Inspector General then referred the case to the US Attorney’s office in Washington, DC. It remains up to the US Attorney to determine whether any crime was committed and whether any charges will be forthcoming, however the fact that the case was referred to the US Attorney means that the Inspector General believes it likely that a crime was committed.
McCabe was a controversial figure in recent years, as he was a central figure in the investigation surrounding Hillary Clinton, her use of a private email server, and the business in which the Clinton Foundation was engaged. McCabe’s lawyers are confident that no prosecution will result from the referral, and are actually planning legal action of their own. They plan to file lawsuits for defamation and wrongful termination, among other things.
Making this entire affair even more interesting is the deteriorated relationship between McCabe and his former boss, former FBI Director James Comey. With Comey currently in the midst of a media tour to promote his book, and no love lost between the two men, their feud could lead to an outpouring of details surrounding the Clinton investigation and a continuation of the soap opera that has ensnared the FBI.