Less than two days before he was slated to retire, Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired a former FBI deputy director, effectively revoking a series of early retirement benefits 26 hours before he would be eligible to receive them. Though Andrew McCabe won't necessarily lose his pension, lawmakers are offering him temporary jobs so he can save those early retirement benefits.
"Andrew McCabe: I have the need to hire a Special Senior Staff Attorney to help me with my work on the House Judiciary Committee dealing with threats to the Constitution and the rule of law in America," tweeted Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin. "You're perfect for the job. DM me."
Raskin wasn't the only Democratic lawmaker to step up. Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan also extended an offer, saying in a statement:
My offer of employment to Mr. McCabe is a legitimate offer to work on election security. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of American democracy and both Republicans and Democrats should be concerned about election integrity.
Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, also a Democrat, similarly expressed interest. "Would be happy to consider this," he tweeted on Saturday. "The Sixth District of MA would benefit from the wisdom and talent of such an experienced public servant."
The hope was that if McCabe could fill out his tenure, he would still be able to receive his benefits. Whether or not these positions would make him eligible was unclear over the weekend, as former federal officials speaking to the press and on social media offered conflicting opinions. One key question was whether McCabe would have to work in a law enforcement capacity, or whether any federal position would do the trick.
McCabe has worked for the FBI since 1996, and according to a CNN estimate, is likely eligible for a $60,000 pension. Though as Elizabeth Bauer explains in Forbes, the former Deputy FBI director wouldn't, under the circumstances, entirely lose his retirement benefits. Instead, he may lose his ability to access them as of his 50th birthday, which was on Sunday, March 18. If that happens, he might have to wait until he is at least 57 years old to claim the benefits.
According to a statement released by Sessions, he fired McCabe because he "had made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor − including under oath − on multiple occasions." Sessions maintained that McCabe was fired because of how he characterized his discussions with a reporter about the Clinton email probe back in 2016. After an internal investigation determined that he may have misled investigators, McCabe resigned from his position, though he was still technically employed.
McCabe, however, explained his ouster from a much different perspective. In a statement released over the weekend, he said that he was not being fired because of how he characterized speaking to a reporter, as Sessions insisted. Instead, he said, he believes he was terminated because of what he witnessed surrounding former FBI Director James Comey's termination.
"I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey," McCabe said. "The release of this report was accelerated only after my testimony to the House Intelligence Committee revealed that I would corroborate former Director Comey’s accounts of his discussions with the President."
McCabe alleged that President Trump personally pushed for his firing, "to remove me from my position, destroy my reputation, and possibly strip me of a pension that I worked 21 years to earn."
Trump, for his part, appeared thrilled by McCabe's removal, per his near-immediate response on Twitter:
Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!
According to The Hill, some expect McCabe to appeal his termination, or possibly sue. Whether or not McCabe will be able to salvage his pension benefits is yet unclear.
