Sessions Fired FBI Deputy Director 48 Hours Before His Retirement

On Friday, March 16, the U.S. Attorney General announced that Andrew McCabe, the Deputy Director of the FBI, has been dismissed from his position. Andrew McCabe was one of the FBI officials fully involved in the agency's investigations regarding Hillary Clinton's emails and the extent of Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. elections, and he has repeatedly faced criticism from President Donald Trump regarding his 'inadequate' investigation into Clinton's emails. Trump has called for broader investigations into Clinton's use of personal emails for government matters. The issue of Russia's influence on the 2016 presidential election has long been under scrutiny in the United States. Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated on Friday, 'Based on the Inspector General's report, findings from the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility, and the recommendation of a senior official, I have terminated Andrew McCabe.' McCabe's dismissal occurred just two days before his 50th birthday, the day he was set to retire and could have received full retirement benefits. This firing, which comes nine months after the dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey, jeopardizes McCabe's pension status. In May of last year, Trump fired Comey following a memo from the Attorney General and his deputy recommending Comey's dismissal due to his history in investigating Clinton's case and the use of a personal server for work emails during his tenure as Secretary of State. Trump had previously criticized McCabe on Twitter and called for his removal. In a statement, McCabe said, 'My termination and this kind of treatment are due to my role and actions and the events that have occurred since James Comey's firing.' He added, 'This attack on my professional reputation is part of a larger effort to discredit the FBI, law enforcement, and more broadly, professional intelligence employees.' McCabe's firing comes just before the release of the Inspector General's report regarding his role in the investigation into Hillary Clinton. It is expected that this report will conclude that McCabe allowed information from the FBI to reach the media and did not cooperate adequately with other FBI officials regarding the investigation into Clinton's emails. Andrew McCabe has been active in the FBI for over 20 years and has played a key role in some of the agency's major recent investigations. Over the past year, Trump has repeatedly condemned McCabe's actions and referred to him as an example of what he calls the FBI's 'bias' against his administration. Jeff Sessions, the U.S. Attorney General, has himself been a critic of the Trump administration, and his job status has faced challenges multiple times. According to the Associated Press, if Sessions continues to oppose McCabe's firing, his disagreements with the White House could escalate further.