Posted on 01/29/2018 12:52:04 PM PST by gubamyster
FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was forced to resign Monday, just as the House Intelligence Committee is expected to vote on the public release of a classified memo this afternoon revealing extensive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuse under the Obama administration, sources told this reporter.
McCabe apparently lashed out to his colleagues when he was told he would be asked to resign, according to sources. FBI Director Christopher Wray viewed the four-page memo on Sunday, sources familiar with the discussions said.
McCabe, who is facing three federal inquiries for conflicts-of-interest during his time at the FBI, is one of the numerous names mentioned in the classified memo detailing FISA abuse, according to sources who reviewed the memo.
The federal inquiries into allegations against McCabe, who was expected to resign in March, are based on documents and interviews conducted by this reporter over the past year and range from sexual discrimination to improper political activity.
McCabe, a central figure in the ongoing Russia investigation against Trump, is also part of the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s ongoing review into the FBI’s handling of former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server to send classified information.
Current and former FBI officials said McCabe’s resignation is the beginning of more resignations to come.
“There are people lining up in the bureau to go after McCabe,” said a former FBI official, with knowledge. “There will be a clean up at the Bureau of his cronies.”
According to several U.S. officials, McCabe’s government communications were collected as part of the ongoing DOJ Inspector General investigation, which is expected to be completed by March.
FBI spokeswoman Carol Cratty declined to comment on the resignation.
The process to declassify the document could take anywhere up to five days. President Trump is not expected to object to the memo’s release and the House Intelligence Committee is expected to pass it, stated White House officials in an earlier report.
“My understanding is they will proceed with the vote tonight,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican. “This memo is something I want every single journalist and American to see, I think it’s that important. If Wray saw the memo, there maybe something to McCabe’s resignation. Or it could also be something as innocent as him using his sick time or leave up until retirement.”
The classified memo is considered “explosive and shocking” and hundreds of Republican members and only a dozen or so Democrats have taken the opportunity to review the report in a secured area, according to congressional sources. The memo also contains information that suggests Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein reauthorized warrants based in part on the unverified dossier to gather communications on former Trump advisor Carter Page, sources said.
House Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows, R-NC, said that he is hopeful the memo will be released to the public and called its contents “shocking.”
“I think from my standpoint there are concerns about political interference by law enforcement and judiciary agencies,” said Meadows, as he prepared to board a flight back to Washington D.C. “These important issues require greater transparency ad it’s critical lady justice remains blindfolded and that the privileged do not have the upper hand in the judicial system.”
Democrat Adam Schiff, D-CA, who has long stated he believes President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia but has offered no proof, said the classified memo is “profoundly misleading” and asked that it not be released
Carter Page, who is one figure at the center of the memo’s revelations, filed his most recent libel lawsuit against Oath and Broadcasting Board of Governors, Radio Free Europe for the story “Report: U.S. Intelligence Officials Examining Trump Advisor’s Russia Ties” written Sept. 23, 2016. The report came a day after Yahoo published a report, which cited multiple sources that suggested Page was under investigation for his ties to Russia. Page has also filed libel suits against Yahoo News and Buzzfeed. Page asserts in the lawsuit that he was a victim of “swatting,” a term used when a group or person provides false information to law enforcement to provoke an emergency action to be taken against a target.
The dossier, which was compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele, was paid for by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign. The DNC and Clinton campaign had hired now embattled research firm Fusion GPS to compile the research. Fusion GPS had previously lobbied on behalf of companies closely connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin against the Magnitisky Act, a U.S. law prohibiting companies and people connected to the death of Sergei Magnitsky from owning property or conducting business in the United States. Magnitsky was an auditor at a law firm in Moscow who uncovered $230 million worth of fraud by Russian tax officials and police officers. After he reported the fraud he was detained by Russian authorities and then died in a prison under suspicious circumstances in 2009.
“By falsely and publicly identifying Dr. Page in the U.S., Europe and worldwide as the main accomplice in the most prominent crime story in recent history and simultaneously mischaracterizing the libelous articles as primarily stemming from slightly more legitimate leakers within USG (U.S. government) agencies rather than the opposition political research consultant Christopher Steele, BBG and RFE played an essential roles in the USG’s black propaganda campaign by branding him as the subject of completely outrageous criminal allegations instigated by earlier excerpts from Mr. Steele’s final report (the “Dodgy Dossier”),” Page states in his complaint filed on January, 19.
Page, who lists a number of previous ‘swatting’ cases, states in his complaint, “In these more benign and little-known swatting cases, defendants have been held accountable by courts…The alleged untruthfulness attached to the DOJ’s allegations in the illegitimate FISA warrant issued against Dr. Page and related abuse of process in 2016 based on the dodgy dossier helps to directly fulfill that burden.”
The Department of Justice and some leading Democrats attempted to stop the committee from releasing the classified FISA abuse memo, citing that the classified nature of the document could threaten national security. The DOJ argued in a letter written by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd that the department had not been given the document for review.
However, several members of the committee told this reporter that the information contained in the memo is lists extensive FISA abuse that occurred before and after the 2016 presidential election cycle.
“What’s important is that the American people will be informed and that the corruption by a few people inside the bureau and DOJ will be exposed,” said a former FBI source with knowledge of the situation. “We can’t move forward unless we as a nation are willing to come clean about what’s been going on and the first step is telling the truth.”
Hope so.
“...or it could also be something as innocent as him using his sick time or leave up until retirement.”
That's common practice.
> “We can’t move forward ... the first step is telling the truth.”
We can’t move forward unless some people go to prison. All of the capabilities are still in place - congress just reauthorized them and will forever. If the only downside to misusing them is early retirement, they will be misused again.
I’m worried that they are going to make him the sacrificial goat and claim that everything is hunky-dory now that he is fired, so there is no need to release the memo.
This strikes me as damage control, pure and simple.
Bull! I still want to see the memo.
I hope McCabe was roughly removed from the FBI property.
| Embattled Andrew McCabe Stepping Down from FBI Effective Immediately ^ |
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01/29/2018 11:29:27 AM PST · by Ernest_at_the_Beach · 13 replies truepundit.com/ ^ FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who has been attacked by President Donald Trump, stepped down Monday, multiple sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.McCabe will remain on the FBI payroll until he is eligible to retire with full benefits in mid-March, the sources said.One source said McCabe was exercising his retirement eligibility and characterized his decision as “stepping aside.” – READ MORE Check back for updates. |
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| FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe 'removed' from the bureau ^ |
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01/29/2018 11:11:04 AM PST · by rktman · 43 replies foxnews.com ^ | 1/29/2018 | Judson BergerTop FBI official Andrew McCabe has been "removed" from his post as deputy director, Fox News is told, leaving the bureau after months of conflict-of-interest complaints from Republicans including President Trump. A source confirmed to Fox News that McCabe is taking “terminal leave” – effectively taking vacation until he reaches his planned retirement in a matter of weeks. As such, he will not be reporting to work at the FBI anymore. |
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| FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is.... ^ |
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01/29/2018 11:06:57 AM PST · by mojito · 25 replies Twitter ^ | 1/29/2018 | Eric HolderFBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is, and has been, a dedicated public servant who has served this country well. Bogus attacks on the FBI and DOJ to distract attention from a legitimate criminal inquiry does long term, unnecessary damage to these foundations of our government. |
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| Deputy FBI Director McCabe steps down: reports ^ |
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01/29/2018 10:04:14 AM PST · by Signalman · 85 replies The Hill ^ | 1/29/2017 | Avery AnapolFBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was expected to retire in the coming months, is stepping down, according to multiple reports. A career civil servant who was appointed deputy director in 2016, McCabe has been a frequent target of Republicans alleging systemic bias against President Trump at the top tiers of the bureau. McCabe oversaw the controversial investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. The GOP has accused him of a conflict of interest in that case because his wife accepted nearly $500,000 in political donations from Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe in a... |
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| BREAKING: FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe Reportedly Stepping Down ^ |
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01/29/2018 9:45:37 AM PST · by Red Badger · 71 replies www.mediaite.com ^ | 01/29/2018 | by Josh FeldmanFBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is reportedly stepping down. NBC News’ Pete Williams broke the news on-air today that McCabe moved up his timetable for stepping down and is out effective today. As Williams explained, this is happening “sooner than anticipated.” McCabe has come under scrutiny from Republicans in recent weeks, including from President Trump himself: You can watch Williams’ report above, via MSNBC. |
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| Breaking: FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, frequent target of Trump's ire, steps down: NBC News ^ |
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01/29/2018 9:32:30 AM PST · by rxsid · 90 replies www.cnbc.com ^ | 01/29/2018 | Jacob Pramuk FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, frequent target of Trump's ire, steps down: NBC News Beleaguered FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe is stepping down effective Monday, NBC News reported. McCabe, who served a brief stint as acting director of the bureau, was already expected to leave, though not this soon. This story is developing. Please check back for updates. |
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| MCCABE STEPS DOWN ^ |
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01/29/2018 9:31:11 AM PST · by ghannonf18 · 272 replies CNBC ^ |
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“Or it could also be something as innocent as him using his sick time or leave up until retirement.”
This is all it is. Nothing to see here, and I expect little “housecleaning” to come from it.
We cynics are rarely disappointed by government.
Hmmmm
And so it begins....finally. I wish him luck in his jail cell!!!
Well, that’s good noose!
The Politburo is disintegrating.
America is being saved.
I don’t think he resigned. Just sayin’.
Should lose his pension and all of the perks he will be getting in his retirement! Should get locked up!
We have been on a continuous diet of NOTHING BURGERS for years and will continue eating them and ask for more.
Paul Manafort's legal team, for example, has surely drafted a subpoena to get every paper and electronic file associated with this charade. Carter Page has a civil lawsuit against multiple parties for defamation and libel related to this case -- and apparently Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein's signature is on one of the FISA warrants used against him.
Maybe this will open Wray’s eyes and he will begin the necessary purge and cleanup of the higher ups in the FBI. Until today, it seemed that Wray thought his job was to stonewall any attempt to learn what improper or illegal goings on might have taken place at the FBI under Comey.
Don’t forget Flynn. Of all people, he’s got the biggest axe to grind.
IMHo, the FBI labs and some specialized investigators who have no power to make an arrest would fulfill the goals the FBI is supposed to achieve and there would be far less opportunity for it being used to abuse the citizenry.
An expanded Federal Marshals service could handle arrests by working with State and local officials to execute a Federal warrant when need be. Historically, the Marshals Service has been much less inclined to entertain the aims and whims of politicians while as far as I can tell politicians have always had too much influence over the actions of the FBI.
JMHo
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