WASHINGTON (AP), Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe won his full pension back as part of a settlement in his lawsuit arising out of his firing during Trump's administration, his lawyers announced on Thursday.
McCabe was a target of Donald Trump's anger and was fired in March 2018. The Justice Department's inspector General concluded that McCabe had authorized the publication of information to a newspaper reporter, then misled internal investigators about the role he played in the leak. McCabe's attorney general Jeff Sessions fired McCabe just hours before McCabe was scheduled to retire. This denied McCabe his pension.
McCabe joined the FBI in 1996 and was entitled to his full pension.
McCabe stated in a statement that politics should not play any role in the fair administration and personnel decisions of civil service. McCabe said that he hoped this result would encourage the FBI men and women to continue protecting the American people, by speaking out for truth and doing their job without fear of political reprisal.
McCabe denied insinuating anyone and was not criminally charged. He has also blasted his firing for being politically motivated. Trump was at the time railing against the FBI's investigation into Russia-related ties to his 2016 presidential campaign.
McCabe filed a lawsuit in 2019 claiming that his firing was part Trump's attempt to rid the FBI of disloyal officials. McCabe was appointed acting director of FBI in May 2017, after Trump fired James Comey. This termination was investigated by Robert Mueller for possible obstruction of justice.
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The federal government agreed to cancel and vacate McCabe's firing, declare him retired in good standing, and restore his full retirement pension as part of the settlement. According to the settlement, he is entitled to additional benefits for retiring FBI senior officers, such as special cufflinks, official FBI badges, credentials, and time in service award keys, which are typically given to retired FBI Deputy Directors and senior officials.
"For 140 years, civil servants such as Andrew McCabe have been a backbone of the federal government, pledging their loyalty rather than to any politician, party or party," Murad Hussain (a McCabe lawyer) said in a statement.
He said that the settlement and the rulings of the district courts make it clear that any attempts to corrupt federal workers through partisan intimidation or improper political influence will be dealt with.
A spokesperson from the Justice Department did not immediately respond to an email asking for comment.
Although McCabe's pension is restored, the settlement does not reverse the inspector general's conclusion that McCabe was not forthcoming when he was being questioned by investigators.
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