WaPo is breaking the news: Justice Dept. won’t charge Andrew McCabe, the former FBI official who authorized the investigation of President Trump
The Justice Department will not bring charges against former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe for lying to investigators about a media disclosure, according to people familiar with the matter and McCabe’s legal team, ending a long-running inquiry into a top law enforcement official who authorized the bureau to investigate President Trump and soon became the commander in chief’s political punching bag.
Side note: This is a news story, not an opinion piece, yet it calls McCabe Trump’s “political punching bag.” A sign that the media (some of it) are coming off their ridiculous “both sides” fence.
Further:
The move will surely infuriate Trump, who has raged publicly and privately in recent months that McCabe and others he considers political enemies should be charged with crimes.
Ya think???
According to WaPo, DOJ has not (yet) made a public announcement about the case.
The department revealed the decision to McCabe’s team on Friday; it was unclear if there were other plans to make it public.
The news came from McCabe’s lawyers, who issued this statement:
“We learned this morning through a phone call from the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office that was followed by a letter that the Justice Department’s criminal investigation of Andrew McCabe has been closed. This means that no charges will be brought against him based on the facts underlying the Office of the Inspector General’s April 2018 report. At long last, justice has been done in this matter. We said at the outset of the criminal investigation, almost two years ago, that if the facts and the law determined the result, no charges would be brought. We are pleased that Andrew McCabe and his family can go on with their lives without this cloud hanging over them.” talkingpointsmemo.com/...
This NBC New York story includes a snapshot of the DOJ letter.
Friday, Feb 14, 2020 · 6:11:24 PM +00:00 · Dan K
The NY Times is suggesting Barr let this happen to show his independence from Trump:
It also appears to be a sign that Attorney General William P. Barr wants to show that the Justice Department is independent from Mr. Trump: The notification came a day after Mr. Barr publicly challenged the president to stop attacking law enforcement officials on Twitter and said the criticisms were making his job more difficult.
I don’t buy it. I think it more likely this is the USDA DC office showing it is independent of Barr.
Friday, Feb 14, 2020 · 8:11:48 PM +00:00 · Dan K
This should be a separate diary, but I’m adding it here because it means Trump’s revenge plans have been stymied twice in the same day:
Army won't investigate Vindman over impeachment testimony, top leader says
The Army will not investigate Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the former National Security Council staffer who testified in the president’s impeachment investigation, the service’s top civilian said Friday.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy made the announcement at an event just days after President Donald Trump said he imagined the military would “take a look at” whether Vindman should face disciplinary action for the “horrible things” he told House investigators about the president’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last July.
Seems only Politico has this story at the moment; CNN, WaPo, and NYT haven’t got it yet.