FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is leaving his post, effective immediately. Fox News reports he was “removed.” Sara Carter says “McCabe apparently lashed out to his colleagues when he was told he would be asked to resign.”

The Bureau’s number two man had been scheduled to retire in March. However, McCabe is going on “terminal leave” starting today until his retirement date. (This allows him to keep his full pension.)

McCabe is a central figure in the alleged politicization of the FBI and Justice under President Obama. In fact, his sudden departure comes just one day after FBI Director Christopher Wray read the classified House Intelligence Committee memo allegedly outlining a host of abuses by DOJ and FBI. 

CBS is now reporting McCabe’s early departure stems from the “results of an upcoming OIG investigation.” This refers to the year-long investigation by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz into alleged wrongdoing in the Clinton and Trump cases by the FBI and DOJ. The OIG report is expected out by March.

NEW: Internal communication sent to FBI officials by FBI Director Christopher Wray links Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s early departure to results of an upcoming OIG investigation, CBS News confirms; says FBI must perform at the highest standards.

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 29, 2018

Most media coverage of McCabe’s quick exit focuses on the “pressure” President Trump has been putting on McCabe. The Associated Press notes FBI’s #2 was a “frequent target” of Trump’s criticism. CNN reports, “McCabe was a central target of President Donald Trump’s ire.” In fact, CNN quickly posted another story titled “What the surprise resignation of the deputy FBI director tells us about Trump.” 

Yes, Trump tweeted about McCabe. He put McCabe’s name front and center. However, this is not about Trump.

McCabe was in hot water for many reasons already known. Here is a sampling. 

Clinton Cash for His Wife During Clinton Investigation

McCabe was not a supervisor in the Clinton case, but he was a key figure. His exact role is part of DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s investigation into wrongdoing by the bureau in the probe.

During the investigation, longtime Clinton operative Gov. Terry McAuliffe urged McCabe’s wife Jill, a political novice, to run for state Senate. He then pushed over $700,000 in contributions into her coffers. McCabe did not disclose his wife’s ties to McAuliffe. He refused to recuse himself until just days before the 2016 election. Or months after James Comey recommended against charges. (Incidentally, under Virginia law Jill McCabe got to keep all the leftover campaign cash.)

The “Path” and “Insurance Policy” to Stop Trump

McCabe is the “Andy” referenced in the now infamous “insurance policy” text sent by Peter Strzok. 

I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office — that there’s no way [Trump] gets elected — but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40.

The “insurance policy”: the Fusion GPS dossier, which the FBI/DOJ could use to push the Trump-Russia collusion theory. The dossier was paid for by the Clinton campaign and the DNC. When asked by Congress at what point he’d learned Clinton was behind the dossier, McCabe claimed not to remember. Convenient amnesia.

Rep. Trey Gowdy hinted that the Nunes memo includes how the FBI/DOJ used the dossier despite knowing it was unvetted political opposition research.

Revenge Against Flynn

McCabe had a personal vendetta against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Circa reported in June 2017 how Flynn crossed McCabe by defending Supervisory Special Agent Robyn Gritz. Now, Gritz had accused McCabe and other FBI brass of blacklisting her after she leveled sexual harassment allegations. So McCabe was furious.

This bias played out in the Russia investigation. True Pundit reports that a few days before Flynn was fired, McCabe gathered his top FBI disciples to plot how to ruin Flynn and Trump. “[Expletive deleted] Flynn and then we [expletive deleted] Trump,” he declared. NBC details how McCabe sandbagged Flynn, setting up the White House interrogation that resulted in his perjury charge. Flynn had thought the meeting was on routine transition matters. 

A Stand-Down Order for Benghazi

Gritz also fingers McCabe for a stunning Benghazi revelation. She told True Pundit that during the 2012 Benghazi attack McCabe ordered the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST) to stand down. The Pentagon had told Gritz that there were six spots for the FBI on the FEST plane set to race to Libya. McCabe said, “No we don’t need your help with that, Robyn, or help from DOD.”

I explained to him that I was the only SSA (Supervisory Special Agent) sitting in this room that has deployed FBI on a FEST plane to a U.S. Embassy under major attack. In Yemen there were terrorists driving around blowing s*** up. And it didn’t stop when we got on the ground. And the same thing happened in Beirut. But McCabe told us all in the meeting the FBI was standing down.”

This fits with a December report from The Hill. A retired FBI supervisor told Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla) he was instructed by McCabe not to call the Benghazi attack an act of terrorism when reporting FBI findings to other intelligence agencies. The supervisor was concerned because “his unit had gathered incontrovertible evidence showing a major Al Qaeda figure had directed the attack and the information had already been briefed to President Obama.”

Incidentally, the Wall Street Journal reported McCabe also told agents investigating the Clinton Foundation to stand down.

More to Come?

The House Intelligence Committee has just voted to release the classified Nunes Memo. DOJ Inspector General Horowitz’s report is also on the way.  Also, McCabe remains an FBI employee even if he’s sitting on a beach somewhere and can be called to testify at any time. And President Trump still has a Twitter account.

It’s safe to say we’ve not heard the last of Andrew McCabe.