By: Lisa M. Hayes
On March 16, Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, less than two days shy of his retirement, ending the career of an official who had risen to serve as second-in-command at the bureau.
McCabe had more recently been regularly taunted by President Donald Trump regarding accusations that he had misled internal investigators at the Justice Department. After McCabe was fired Trump taunted him on Twitter like only Trump does:
“Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI – A great day for Democracy,” Trump said. “Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!”
Unlike others, many of whom have remained mostly silent after controversial firings, McCabe wasted no time firing back. He called a press conference and unleashed.
“This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally, but to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally,” McCabe said. “It is part of this Administration’s ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the Special Counsel investigation, which continue to this day. Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the Special Counsel’s work.” McCabe said.
However, as indignant as McCabe was, he wasn’t surprised. No one was. Trump has been teasing about his move for weeks and with the recent, “You’re fired,” bender Trump has been on, it would have been more surprising had McCabe not been fired.
So, of course, McCabe has been taking notes, writing memos, and keeping records – that are now in Mueller’s possession. They were probably in the hands of Russia probe investigators all along.
If you’re Donald Trump, the problem with going to war with the intelligence community is this is not their first rodeo. However, it indeed is his. These people are very familiar with the likes of Donald J. Trump. In fact, they are intimately familiar with Trump himself. They’ve been investigating him for a very long time.
Not to mention, they are professionals who know what they are doing. Anyone in law enforcement knows how to take notes on meetings and primarily how to document interactions with suspects. People who’ve worked in intelligence, coming up the ranks in the FBI the way McCabe did won’t make mistakes in a situation like this. Their futures or even lives may very well depend on it.
I would be shocked if all McCabe turned over were memos. After Comey’s experiences with Trump, chances are very high there are recordings to back up those memos and notes. This is the FBI. That’s what they do.
Additionally, McCabe’s memos substantiate James Comey’s allegations regarding his conversations with Trump. This moving the finish line on proving obstruction of justice much closer.
There have always been two things happening at once in this investigation. One of them, the congressional inquiries, have been a wreck from day one. Too many Republicans have put their careers and democracy itself on the line to protect Trump. The Congressional investigation has been mostly a ceremonial waste of time.
The second thing happening here, the one that really matters is the path of law enforcement through this probe. The Justice Department probe, led by Mueller is where the real meat is. And while their authority over the President is still somewhat unclear, it is certain they have the resources and power to reveal him, putting dozens, if not more, people behind bars in the process. Many legal scholars believe Trump himself will be one of them.
You do not want to piss off men like James Comey and Andrew McCabe. Anyone with an average IQ would know that. So, don’t worry about McCabe. He’ll get his pension, and he’ll make millions off a book deal. Also, do not worry about whether or not McCabe is a patriot. He’s a man who’s spent his life defending the constitution. He knows a constitutional crisis when he sees one.
Everything is still ok.
