Federal prosecutors recommend that Andrew McCabe, former FBI second-in-command, be charged

[pnwmom]

Source: USA Today

WASHINGTON -- Federal prosecutors have recommended bringing criminal charges against Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI and a frequent target of criticism by President Donald Trump, according people familiar with the decision Thursday.

McCabe was fired from the FBI just before his retirement in March 2018 after the Justice Department's internal watchdog concluded that he had improperly authorized a leak about a federal investigation into the Clinton Foundation in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign. Investigators also concluded that he displayed a lack of candor when asked about the leak.

The U.S. Attorney in Washington, Jessie Liu, recommended moving forward with unspecified charges against McCabe, according to people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to comment publicly. McCabe's lawyers appealed that decision to Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, who rejected their request, one of the people said. McCabe's lawyers were informed of that decision Thursday.

The decision clears the way for McCabe to face a criminal charge.




Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/12/andrew-mccabe-prosecutors-recommend-charges-former-fbi-official/2301473001/

---

FWIW, the Palmer Report puts its typical positive spin on this.

Link to tweet

"For Donald Trump, putting Andrew McCabe on trial was supposed to be just a fantasy to sell his base.

But now that McCabe is apparently going to be indicted after all, this will be a disaster for Trump. An actual trial, with discovery and so on? Trump might as well resign now.["


The WA Post points out that an indictment has not yet been announced.


https://beta.washingtonpost.com/national-security/justice-dept-authorized-prosecutors-to-charge-andrew-mccabe/2019/09/12/5b0d48ea-d418-11e9-9343-40db57cf6abd_story.html

[div class"excerpt"]The notification comes as a federal grand jury investigating McCabe was suddenly recalled this week after a months-long hiatus -- an indication its members would likely be asked soon to consider bringing charges. But the panel left with no immediate signs of an indictment -- a sign they might have balked, been asked to return later or filed a determination under seal.

Feb. 20, President Trump called former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe "a poor man's J. Edgar Hoover" and "a complete disaster."
To bring an indictment, prosecutors would have to convince 12 of the 23 grand jurors to sign onto the decision.

The decision, whenever it is made clear, is likely to inflame partisan divisions and once again thrust the Justice Department to the center of a political combat zone.

McCabe authorized the FBI to begin investigating President Trump and has long been a target of the commander in chief's ire. His defenders are likely to view any charges against him as the most sinister form of Trump's revenge.

[StevieM]

1. Ironically, if he is indicted it will be for screwing Hillary over.

But I suspect that the Americans people won't understand that. That they will continue to believe that he got in trouble for somehow protecting her.

That's what happened with Comey. He was fired for being horribly unfair to her--but people think he was fired for treating her too favorably.

[lunatica]

9. Comey was not fired for being unfair to Hillary though

trump used that as an excuse to deflect the fact that Comey was fired for not swearing total fealty to Trump. Comey was just the first of many. Hillary was just a convenient excuse.

[StevieM]

14. I would argue that she was an inconvenient excuse.

The last thing the GOP wanted to do was fire him for screwing her over, since that contradicted their claim that he protected her.

Fortunately for them, most Americans don't understand that this was the official reason. They have bought into this nonsense that he went easy on her.

[Kid Berwyn]

2. McCabe was only doing what FBI is supposed to be doing.

Defending and protecting the United States from enemies foreign and domestic, you know, Trumputin.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Ben Carson cleared of misconduct in ordering $31,000 dining room set for office suite

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142366873

Andy McCabe, your crimes aren't big enough to go below the Trump DOJ radar.

[dchill]

12. Fealty has its perks.

McCabe's loyalty to his oath is a problem for him. Who's next?

[DeminPennswoods]

4. Discovery in this case should be interesting

to say the least.

[former9thward]

11. Not really.

This is a criminal charge not a lawsuit. McCabe's lawyers already know what the DOJ knows. The DOJ has shown it to them. SOP.

[DeminPennswoods]

15. Not necessarily true

There could well be internal email or memos that are relevent, but have not been shared with McCabe.

[BlueIdaho]

18. Just think of all the asshats that can be deposed.

Including Sessions, Barr, and... Trump. I think there is a real possibility he will never be charged.

[DeminPennswoods]

20. Yes indeed

And all of them deposed under oath.

If I were McCabe's lawyers, I think I'd say "bring it" and make exactly your point that Sessions, Barr, Horowicz, etc, all will be deposed under oath. Unlike the stall tactics with Congress, they won't be able
to goof around with a federal judge.

[BlueIdaho]

21. You said a mouthful...

Maybe that’s why the Grand Jury hasn’t signed on to this flimsy case. BTW- Bill Barr is a whore.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. The DOJ is fully corrupt now.

[deurbano]

6. It's unbelievable how quickly this has happened. When we finally wrest back our democracy from

these fascists, we obviously need to have more formal protections in place. Tradition, convention, norms and nearly 250 years of history have proved ineffective constraints when dealing with deplorable ass-wipes who don't share these values and want to overthrow it all.

[lunatica]

10. It takes your breath away doesn't it?!

We’re not even into 3 years of Trump yet.

I hope we can save us!

[BlueIdaho]

19. I've been watching a a two part series on the BBC

About the rise of Nazi Germany. It took Hitler six months to destroy the German democracy. The similarities to the Trump Administration are frightening.

[iluvtennis]

7. Indeed.

[honest.abe]

8. This is how dictatorships gain power.

Threaten those who fight back until no one is left to fight.

[Optical.Catalyst]

13. What a coincidence

Michael Cohen cooperating in probe into whether Trump Organization falsified records. Two days later Federal prosecutors recommend that Andrew McCabe be charged. Trump is a master of directing the news cycle, and this sure looks like ploy to move a negative story below the centerfold.

[Bayard]

16. "improperly authorized a leak"

My gawd, compare that with the real criminality going on in this administration from the top down.

[JohnKilvik]

17. Hypocrisy much?

Hard to imagine the hypocrisy of Trump's Justice Department charging someone with a lack of candor while ignoring the blatancy of the serial liar occupying the White House.