CUMMINGS UP SHORT

On November 4, 2016, Elijah E. Cummings and John Conyers, Jr. requested the Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, U. S. Department of Justice  investigate FBI leaks regarding the Clinton e-mail scandal.

https://democrats-oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/cummings-and-conyers-request-investigation-of-fbi-leaks-to-trump-campaign

As recently as December 2016, Christopher Wray, Director of the FBI was defending Andrew McCabe.  That changed on January 29, 2017, when Wray was allowed access to the 4-page FISA memo.  Wray saw more than that.  He also saw the underlying documentation supporting that memo and he saw the IG report.  Wray was allegedly shocked by what he saw and within hours McCabe was on terminal leave.

https://conservativedailypost.com/journalist-reveals-fbi-director-wray-shocked-over-memo-day-before-dismissing-mccabe/

FBI Director Wray send a message to all FBI employees with the following statement:

“It would be inappropriate for me to comment on specific aspects of the IG’s review right now,” Wray said in the message. “But I can assure you that I remain staunchly committed to doing this job, in every respect, ‘by the book.’ I will not be swayed by political or other pressure in my decision making.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-s-wray-makes-clear-mccabe-s-retirement-tied-ig-n842671

The official report of that investigation has not been released yet, but the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility reviewed that report and recommended that former Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, be fired.  It is significant that they made this decision knowing that firing him now would deprive him of his pension.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-officials-recommend-deputy-director-mccabe-fired-source/story?id=53747108

It would be foolish to believe that either FBI Director Christopher Wray or the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility would have made these decisions absent clear and incontrovertible evidence.

Yesterday, Attorney General Jeff Session fired Andrew McCabe and he gave a written statement explaining his decision:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-sessions-statement/statement-by-attorney-general-on-firing-of-fbis-mccabe-idUSKCN1GT04O

The FBI expects every employee to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and accountability.  As the OPR proposal stated, ‘all FBI employees know that lacking candor under oath results in dismissal and that our integrity is our brand.’ 

Pursuant to Department Order 1202, and based on the report of the Inspector General, the findings of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility, and the recommendation of the Department’s senior career official, I have terminated the employment of Andrew McCabe effective immediately.”

According to Session, the OPR report said that Andrew McCabe lied under oath. He also said that the Department senior career office recommended that McCabe be fired.  This means that Rod Rosenstein recommended termination.

Attorney General Sessions referred to another DOJ investigation being run outside of Washington.  That means Sessions has more information that has never leaked to the press.  He knew that firing McCabe would set off a political fire storm.  That is why he waited until he had all the facts before making his final decision.  Unless he is hopelessly incompetent, he has the facts to support his decision.

The most vocal voices supporting McCabe are James Comey, Eric Holder and John Brennan.  All of them face potential legal problems of their own.  John Brennan said Donald Trump is a demagogue heading for the dustbin of history, but he didn’t site a single fact to support his opinion.  Eric Holder said it was dangerous and cruel to fire McCabe, but he admitted he did not know anything about the substance.  James Comey said he will tell his story in his book, but he also didn’t dispute a single fact.

This means the investigation arrogantly ordered by Cummings and Conyers appears to have completely backfired. Not only did it come up short on the stated goal of finding corrupt FBI officials leaking information to support Donald Trump, the corruption appears to have all been by those who supported Hillary Clinton.

TDM