Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who has endured a year of withering attacks from President Donald Trump, was fired by the Justice Department on Friday just days before he was to retire.
“Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI — A great day for Democracy,” Mr. Trump tweeted soon after the firing.
“Sanctimonious [ex-FBI director] 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!” Mr. Trump wrote.
Announcing Mr. McCabe’s ouster, the Justice Department said an internal investigation found that he had made unauthorised disclosures to the media, and had not been fully honest “on multiple occasions” with the department’s inspector general.
The decision was taken “after an extensive and fair investigation,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.
Hillary investigation
Details of the inspector general’s probe were not made public, but it involved the FBI’s handling of the 2016 investigation into Mr. Trump’s election rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Mr. McCabe hit out at the administration following his sacking in a blistering statement.
“I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey,” Mr. McCabe said.
