IG report faults Andrew McCabe for unauthorized disclosure of information, misleading investigators

Source: The Washington Post




Inspector general report faults Andrew McCabe for unauthorized disclosure of information, misleading investigators

By Matt Zapotosky April 13 at 2:52 PM

The Justice Department Inspector General alleges that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe inappropriately authorized the disclosure of sensitive information to a reporter and then misled investigators and former FBI Director James B. Comey about it on several occasions, according to a report made public Friday.

Those in Washington have long been anticipating release of the document, which formed the basis of McCabe’s firing just 26 hours before he could retire from the FBI and begin collecting his full retirement benefits. McCabe vigorously disputes its conclusions, and his team distributed a point-by-point rebuttal of the inspector general’s allegations.

The release of the report comes at a moment when the Justice Department and FBI are under intense scrutiny from a president upset that agents this week raided the office of his personal lawyer. McCabe had already alleged that his firing was politically motivated, as the president had made clear he disliked McCabe long before the FBI’s former No. 2 official was fired.

His spokesman wrote on Twitter Tuesday that the timing of the document being handed over to Congress Friday was “fascinating,” then added, “But no report transmission to Mr. #McCabe and no public disclosure from the Office of the Inspector General. The transparency of this Friday news dump is a joke.” Minutes later, she sent an email that included a link to the report.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-department-inspector-general-provides-report-to-congress-on-andrew-mccabe/2018/04/13/ce367c4c-3f36-11e8-974f-aacd97698cef_story.html