FBI officials have recommended that the former number two at the FBI Andrew McCabe be fired, CBS News’ Paula Reid reports. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is reviewing the recommendation. It’s likely he’ll take the recommendation because it would be difficult for Sessions, who has promised to go after leakers, to be perceived as looking the other way on leaks. Another factor — it would likely upset the president if it appears that Sessions is going too easy on McCabe over his handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe.
The bureau, asked for a response, said that it had no personnel announcements, but released a statement saying, “”The Department follows a prescribed process by which an employee may be terminated. That process includes recommendations from career employees and no termination decision is final until the conclusion of that process.”
The Justice Department’s inspector general is, according to media reports, expected to criticize McCabe as part of its investigation into the handling of the Clinton email investigation. The Associated Press reported earlier this month that “criticism of McCabe was expected to be in connection with a media disclosure and a question of whether proper procedures were followed in the release of information.”
The move, if it happens, would endanger McCabe’s pension and retirement benefits.
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
