FBI Deputy Director Was Warned Of Potential Conflicts

[DonViejo]

Source: Newsweek Magazine




FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW MCCABE WAS WARNED ABOUT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, BUT NOT FOR CLINTON EMAIL PROBE

BY MAX KUTNER ON 1/5/18 AT 2:58 PM

The FBI once warned Deputy Director Andrew McCabe that his Democrat wife’s 2015 political campaign could create conflicts of interest for him, but he then acted to avoid such conflicts, according to documents the Bureau released Friday amid criticism that its probe of Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email server was tainted by partisanship.

Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have accused McCabe of being biased towards Clinton in the FBI’s investigation of her. Those allegations began in October 2016, when The Wall Street Journal reported that McCabe’s wife received contributions for her state senate campaign from Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a close political ally of Clinton.

On Friday, the FBI revealed that on April 29, 2015 it had informed McCabe, then the assistant director in charge of the bureau’s Washington field office, how he should act given that the “potential conflict of interest" of his wife’s state senate campaign. The memo, “Protocol Regarding Potential Conflicts of Interest,” also “identified several areas where [McCabe’s] disassociation would be appropriate.” It also referenced that his wife was being “supported by the governor of Virginia” and that McCabe had proactively approached Bureau colleagues for guidance.

The FBI investigation into Clinton’s emails began in July 2015, prior to the end of McCabe’s wife’s loss in November of that year. According to an internal memo released by the FBI on Friday McCabe only began overseeing the Clinton investigation in 2016, four months after his wife’s defeat at the polls.

But that timing is crucial, given that the FBI had already warned McCabe that his wife’s political patron was the Clinton-allied governor of Virginia. The FBI had completed the Clinton email investigation by the time The Wall Street Journal story came out. But days later, then-FBI Director James Comey announced that investigators had uncovered new evidence about Clinton, and soon after, McCabe recused himself from the probe.

The Republican condemnations of McCabe seem part of a larger effort to discredit the FBI and the Department of Justice. That effort coincides with the progression of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russia’s election meddling and possible coordination with the Trump campaign. In early December, Trump retweeted a post saying FBI Director Christopher Wray needs to “clean house.”

The Justice Department inspector general and several congressional committees are reviewing the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email probe. The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch and likely others have sued the government for documents related to McCabe.

But Friday’s release also came amid reports that the FBI is investigating the Clinton Foundation. To find out whether the foundation received donations in exchange for political favors during Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, agents have questioned people tied to the foundation, The New York Times reported Friday afternoon.

McCabe, 49, reportedly plans to retire soon. Bureau employees can retire with benefits after serving at least 20 years or reaching age 50, whichever comes later. McCabe has been at FBI since 1996. He turns 50 in May, but President Trump has joked that McCabe may not make it to his full boat pension.

“FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!” the president tweeted last month.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/andrew-mccabe-hillary-clinton-emails-conflict-interest-fbi-772331

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Full article posted with the permission of Newsweek -- Don

[H2O Man]

1. Recommended.

[Jarqui]

2. Let's be clear. What the official record now shows is:

Trump (probably knowingly) wrongfully smeared the integrity a good man in the national media who did absolutely nothing wrong while serving his country in law enforcement for Trump's personal political gain (putting down Clinton). And then Trump doubled down by threatening this loyal, honest public servant with losing his pension because his organization was looking into the sketchy behavior of Trump's campaign with the Russians. Meanwhile members of Trump's campaign and Trump himself lied about it and allegedly obstructed justice by firing this man's boss over it.

There is no limit to my disdain for Trump. He proves again and again that he is a f**king dishonest pig with no conscience.

[FakeNoose]

3. Keep it up Trump

Thanks to Donald J. Trump and his douchebaggery, no good qualified people will ever
want to work for the US government - EVER!

[nwduke]

4. Hypocrisy

So then every Republican on the Senate Judiciary committee should recuse themselves since they supported and donated to Republicans their whole lives. Right?

[dansolo]

5. Do you think that Trump will try to fire him before he is eligible for his pension?

I could easily see him doing it. And knowing Trump, he would do it just days before his eligibility.

[mr_lebowski]

6. That headline is bullshit ...

It should have been "McCabe Followed All Policies, Took All Steps to Avoid Conflict Of Interest"

Not that fucking bullshit. People often don't actually read past headlines, Newsweek. It's THE MOST important part of any article.

And expecting the average person make sense of THIS?

"The FBI investigation into Clinton’s emails began in July 2015, prior to the end of McCabe’s wife’s loss in November of that year. According to an internal memo released by the FBI on Friday McCabe only began overseeing the Clinton investigation in 2016, four months after his wife’s defeat at the polls.

But that timing is crucial, given that the FBI had already warned McCabe that his wife’s political patron was the Clinton-allied governor of Virginia. The FBI had completed the Clinton email investigation by the time The Wall Street Journal story came out. But days later, then-FBI Director James Comey announced that investigators had uncovered new evidence about Clinton, and soon after, McCabe recused himself from the probe."

That's confusing gobbledy-gook that very few will understand whether you're saying he 'did right' ... or 'did wrong'.

It also would be VERY helpful for everyone to understand whether Hillary even knew she was being investigated when the donation was made, and whether there was any reason for her to believe at that the time it was given ... that McCabe might be at some point 'in charge'.

Also, is there any evidence McAuliffe said anything to anyone about this being some kind of 'bribe'? Was it out of the ordinary for his organization to make such a donation? This wasn't even a Federal election ... 600K does seem pretty big for a State-level seat. Have his people ever done something like that? Any evidence McCabe and McCauliff 'spoke' or 'met up' around that time?

Any evidence McCabe 'directed' the probe in such a way that suggests he was a 'driving force' in finding her essentially 'innocent'?

Much as I'd love to give everyone the 'benefit of the doubt', and very much doubt anybody 'spoke of' any quid pro quo ... there are some possible scenarios given the holes in what we have info on ... there's a chance this 'doesn't look good'.

[duforsure]

7. Well then

All Republicans taking any campaign funds from Russians , or helping promote obstructing the Russian investigations not recusing themselves should be getting charged with ethics violations, and co-conspiracy charges of obstruction. They know a switch in control of the House in Nov. could spell serious troubles for many of them.