WASHINGTON: In what President Donald Trump called “a great day for Democracy”, Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired Andrew McCabe, a former FBI deputy director long scorned by Trump, two days before McCabe’s scheduled retirement date, acting on the recommendation of bureau disciplinary officials.

McCabe suggested the move was part of the Trump administration’s “war on the FBI”.

Trump tweeted in praise of Sessions’ announcement Friday night, asserting without elaboration that McCabe “knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels off the FBI!”

An upcoming inspector general’s report is expected to conclude that McCabe, a confidant of fired FBI Director James Comey, authorised the release of information to the media and was not forthcoming with the watchdog office as it examined the bureau’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

“The FBI expects every employee to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and accountability,” Sessions said in a statement.

McCabe said his credibility had been attacked as “part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally” but also the FBI and law enforcement.

“It is part of this administration’s ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the special counsel investigation, which continue to this day,” he added, referring to Robert Mueller’s probe into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. “Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the special counsel’s work.”

Trump’s personal lawyer, John Dowd, cited the “brilliant and courageous example” by Sessions and the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility and said in a statement Saturday that the No. 2 Justice Department official, Rod Rosenstein, should “bring an end” to the Russia investigation “manufactured” by Comey.

McCabe asserted he was singled out because of the “role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath” of Comey’s fired by Trump last May.

Mueller is investigating whether Trump’s actions, including Comey’s ouster, constitute obstruction of justice. McCabe could be an important witness.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2018