Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, dismissed by Donald Trump days before he was set to retire. McCabe has got back his full pension as part of a settlement of his lawsuit.
McCabe was fired in March 2018 after the Justice Department, on the prodding of Trump, concluded that he had authorized the release of sensitive information to a reporter. He was also accused of misleading internal investigators of his role in the disclosure.
Andrew McCabe had been a frequent target of the then president’s ire and was fired in March 2018. His dismissal came hours before his retirement, effectively denying pension benefits to the senior FBI official.
The settlement reached with the Justice Department vacates that order. It also expunges any reference to having been fired from his files. Andrew McCabe is now entitled to a full pension from the FBI, which he joined in 1996.
In a statement, Andrew McCabe said that politics has no role in the decisions of civil service and the fair administration of justice.
Andrew McCabe Hopeful That Ruling Will Give Back Confidence Within FBI
He was hopeful that this decision will give back the confidence to the people working in the FBI to continue to protect the citizens of America by doing their jobs without fear of political retaliation.
Andrew McCabe has denied that he had intentionally deceived anyone during his tenure at the FBI. He blasted his firing as politically motivated even as Trump went all out to suppress evidence of wrongdoing in his administration.
Trump was peeved at the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the election process in 2016 that led to Trump’s win. The then-president had termed his dismissal as a great day for Democracy.
Andrew McCabe had sued in 2019 against his dismissal, terming it as a purge of officials of the FBI whom Trump considered disloyal. He will get back all benefits due to retiring senior FBI officials.