The initial Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on former FBI assistant director Andrew McCabe hasn’t gotten much attention since it was released on Friday, despite the fact that it is shocking.
So shocking in fact, that when it was first leaked to the higher echelons of our government, it forced current FBI Director Christopher Wray to immediately relieve McCabe of duty and it eventually led to McCabe’s firing without his government golden parachute.
It has many in the GOP saying “told ya’ so,” to the mainstream media:
Trending: ISIS’ Annihilation in Syria Hasn’t Stopped Caliphate From Threatening U.S.
Republicans hailed the report as evidence that Sessions made the right call when he fired McCabe hours before his retirement.
“The second in command at our nation’s premiere law enforcement agency should be the epitome of fidelity, bravery and integrity,” Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement. “The Inspector General found not only did McCabe divulge sensitive information, he did it without the permission, authority, or knowledge of his supervisor.”
The 35-page report is just the first salvo in the IG’s efforts to get to the bottom of what went wrong during James Comey’s run of the FBI, but it’s still a terrifying first glance at some of the corrupt players in Comey’s employ. (the full report is embedded below)
On Sunday, Twitter star, NameRedacted7 spent the afternoon reading through the report and explaining to his followers what the IG had found.
Let me quickly summarize, and then feel free to read through the revelations the report uncovers.
First, McCabe is a liar. It’s not a one-time issue either. The OIG found McCabe had lied at least 6 different times about major issues. In particular, the OIG found that McCabe lied about leaks that he perpetrated, then tried to blame his on his subordinates before realizing that he’d already been found out, and then finally confessing to being the leak… before blaming it on Comey who he says “authorized” the leaks. The OIG has found some serious dirt on the leaks coming out of the FBI and this could explode into something even larger.
Secondly, McCabe used his office to help advance the Democrat Party’s causes, including Hillary Clinton’s failing candidacy for President.
Comey suggests he released the letter saying he was reopening the investigation into Hillary in October 2017 because it was his assumption she was going to win.
“If I hide this…she’ll be illegitimate the moment she’s elected, the moment this comes out.” pic.twitter.com/muKuEDJ790
— Ryan Saavedra ???????? (@RealSaavedra) April 15, 2018
Thirdly, McCabe could probably end all of the intrigues on the Donald Trump-Russia investigation simply by telling the truth. The many different connections between McCabe, FusionGPS, Christopher Steele, and the Democrat Party all indicate that McCabe knows exactly what went on during the 2016 election campaign.
Finally, McCabe, Comey, and others may still be in for some very big trouble because the OIG has a lot more to say on the corruption, criminality, fraud, and malfeasance within the FBI during the Comey era.
The incredible Sharyl Attkisson lays out 12 different reasons why James Comey deserved to be fired in a recent report for The Hill.
A lot of new information has come out in the year since President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. No matter whether you admire Trump, Comey, both or neither — it’s now difficult to argue that Trump made the wrong move in removing Comey. Even many of Trump’s detractors would agree that no president should keep in place the head of a crucial division who — along with some of his top staff — apparently worked to undermine or control the president, and exercised poor judgment in important matters.
NameRedacted7 went even deeper down the OIG Report rabbit hole in his recent Twitter live stream of the report.
His Twitter Feed Unrolled for easier reading (but kept in “twitter language) explained:
1. I’m taking my time reading the McCabe report from @JusticeOIG and so far I’m floored. This is a 30+ page report on misconduct by fired Dep Dir McCabe; I intend this thread to be a work in progress as I make my way through it & will supplement work done by others.
2. I’ve just finished retweeting @tracybeanz thread from today, and @Nick_Falco & @The_War_Economy have extensive research on this as well.
3. From page 1-6, the @JusticeOIG lays out exact verbiage & statements McCabe made to FBI Inspection Division whom the investigation of his conduct originated with. This is a crucial data point to understanding these events.
4. Within the first six pages, it’s detailed what McCabe told investigators at each date & time, & relevant data regarding phone calls w DOJ officials, his aide Special Counsel Lisa Page, Dir Comey, & Dep Asst Dir Peter Strzok. Dates are noted.
5. The report first describes McCabe’s lack of Candor. This is the act of not telling the complete truth, leaving out details, deliberately lying about details, or hiding key facts.
6. Within the first six pages, it is explicitly clear that McCabe verbally ordered page, & Asst Director for Office Public Affairs to seek out WSJ Devlin Barrett, in an attempt to shift the reporters narrative to one less damaging to McCabe PERSONALLY.
7. This follows Barrett’s Oct 23, ’16 WSJ article revealing McCabe’s wife received almost $700,000 from Terry McCauliffe for her Senate run at a time McCabe was overseeing TWO Clinton investigations & McAuliffe was under FBI probe.
8. This led to great panic on the part of McCabe who within days ordered his Aide Lisa Page & AD/OPA Kortan to meet w Barrett. They communicated w him several times about this ultimately revealing that DOJ wanted the Clinton Foundation case stopped.
9. McCabe took a call Aug 12, ’16 from Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General at DOJ who was the point person for DOJ on that case. It was heated & McCabe allegedly (his words) asked point blank if DOJ was asking FBI to kill a valid case.
10. What happened next is Page & Kortan at McCabe’s order leak this fact to Barrett who then publishes it on Oct 30, ’16.
11. From pages 6-11 the report details the aftermath: the Justice Dept was fit to be tied. @tracybeanz thread details this in depth. First McCabe lied and pointed suspicion both internally at FBI & at DOJ blaming WashDC & NYC Field Offices. (WFO & NYFO).[
12. This is crucial. McCabe knowingly used his aide & FBI Public Affairs to leak unauthorized to the WSJ to cover up his own conflicts of interest that may signal other more egregious felonies he has committed at the Bureau.see @The_War_Economy tweets about McCabe addresses
13. McCabe goes so far as to tell the Asst Dir In Charge, WFO (ADIC-WFO) to quote: ‘get your house in order’. He called him incompetent w full knowledge he was blaming the man for his own crime. Yes, it is a felony.
14. Circle back: McCabe has now accused ADIC-NYFO & ADIC-WFO of the leak he knowingly perpetrated to hide his own misdeeds. This triggers an FBI Inspection Division mole hunt that targets the entire Counter Intelligence division who had access to both Clinton cases: email & Fdtn.
15. Imagine the amount of resources involved in this. This was later turned over to the Dept of Justice Inspector General, Michael Horowitz & his staff for further investigation, but Inspection Division remained involved.
16. McCabe was interviewed by both Inspection division & OIG and lied to both. His first interview was not under oath, but he lied to investigators. Subsequent interviews *were* under oath. He lied during the interviews as well. His story changed repeatedly as interviews progressed.
17. Ok. More to come on this a little later. This thread is a work in progress.
18. So, after the first Barrett article exposes McCabe’s conflict via $s for McAuliffe, Comey holds a staff meeting 4 days later on Oct 27, ’16 about HRC email case. McCabe is out of town dials into the meeting via phone.
19. Comey & FBI Gen Counsel Baker tell him to leave the meeting; they are concerned about his conflicts & McCabe is livid. Was this what prompted his actions is ordering the leak?
20. @The_War_Economy has detailed the McCabes lived in close proximity to Clinton’s for YEARS in Chappaqua & McCabe hid this from FBI, OPR & OIG. Add to that the campaign contributions he did not disclose. Was McCabe HRCs point man?
21. Is that why it was so important he tries to shift Barrett’s narrative? It appears McCabe was bought and paid for to me. At bottom of page 7, continued on page 8 the report says the following:
22. McCabe texts after being excluded from the meeting in a text to Lisa Page: ‘I spoke to both. Both understand no decision on recusal will be made until *i* return & weigh in.’ He’s talking about Comey & Baker.
23. It’s clear everyone thinks McCabe has conflicts but he refused to recuse; then leaks to cover his own ass, revealing the existence of CF [Clinton Foundation] investigation.
24. This happens at the same time as NYFO & NYPD are dealing w Weiner laptop seized in case of Huma’s husband sexting a 15 yr old.
25. McCabe gets $s for wife from Clinton operative. Gets kicked out of staff meeting about Clinton email case. Leaks to Barrett to hide his conflicts. Blames NYOF & WFO. This triggers internal & external investigations of leak.
26. At same time, @tracybeanz documents Lynch is using FBI NYFO to blackmail NYPD over Eric Garner case to control info about the Weiner case & laptop. Here where things get *really* interesting.
27. The NYFO is dealing w McCabe lying about them being leakers to cover his own likes while Lynch is using them to control NYPD bc of Weiner. At same time NYPD brass gave NYFO an ultimatum: u deal w this or we go to the press.
28. So the FBI grabs the laptop, Comey is “forced “to send email to congress re-opening email case & that’s all we’re told. Or is it?
29. @tracybeanz documents the interviews both founder of Blackwater Erik Prince & former US Atty & Mayor of NYC Rudy Giuliani gave detailing both the emails on Huma/ A Weiner’s joint laptop *and other things*….
30. So FBI NYFO takes laptop due to class info on laptop & as part of HRC email case. McCabe refused to recuse and HIDES the laptop, until Prince &Guiliani reveal its existence & seizure by FBI forcing Comey’s have. McCabe was hiding it unbeknownst to Comey.
31. Sidebar: ask two questions- what was so extraordinary OUTSIDE of the emails that NYPD even w garner case blackmail ongoing took extraordinary step of using Prince & Guiliani to force its disclosure?
32. Something on that laptop is so ugly, so damaging NYPD felt it had no choice but to do that. What could it be? Important note: wiener went to prison for a sexual relationship w a child. What else did NYPD expect FBI to look into beyond Weiner’s case that was that ugly?
33. Something critical here: the CF investigation was shelved, FO’s mothballed the case until AFTER Sessions was sworn & ordered the case reopened. It’s clear OIG felt this case was improperly shelved for political reasons.
34. The CF case is re-opened. @LarrySchweikart has been looking into this extensively. There are five FBI field offices working the case w NYFO being the lead. NYFO is in SDNY, the NYC area where the foundation is registered. Little Rock & LA offices also involved.
35. This investigation is still ongoing. The fact nothing has been heard indicates to me this case is still being actively pursued. End sidebar.
36. In Section B, page 12 the report gives Comey’s acct related to the OIG investigators (plural): he refutes McCabe’s claim that he was informed & signed off on the disclosure. Two separate things.
37. Comey’s testimony is corroborated by AD/OPA Korton & SpecCounsel Page; he says he didn’t know, didn’t authorize & McCabe vaguely denied authorizing or doing the leak. This was discussed at length.
38. Comey emphasizes 1. He required all such disclosures to be run by him first & his approval, 2. That only he & McCabe had authority to authorize such disclosures & 3. He had several reasons he would have denied permission on this.
39. What this amounts to was McCabe lied to Comey and leaked, blamed two ADICs & then covered it up. Comey’s reasoning to OIG, under oath, was logical.
40. Yes I know Comey’s history of lying under oath but this time he is supported by documentation & witness corroboration.
41. Comey’s reasons for non approval of the leak were given as 1. didn’t want to confirm the case as 3 mo’s prior he refused to do so to Congress (!) 2. This came 2 DAYS after the weiner laptop forced email to congress about it, 3. harmed DOJ/FBI relationship.
42. Of course, non of that mattered to McCabe who was WAY more interested in hiding his crimes & maintaining access to those cases for his political benefactor; team Clinton.
43. This is why the OIG ruled as did OPR the leak McCabe was guilty of was not in FBI interest & not authorized.
44. Ok. That’s all for now. More to come. I’m halfway through the report and will continue this as I progress further through the report.
45. One last thing before I take a break: after NYPD handed over wiener laptop to FBI NYFO, who came & picked it up & helped hide it with McCabe? Deep Asst Dir CI Peter Strzok. More to follow.
46. So, INSD begins investigating. May ’17 case is formally opened, McCabe (abbreviated AM here on out) is interviewed May9, ’17. This is golden right here. Takes place in privacy of McCabes office. Section Chief & Supervisory Special Agent from INSD present w McCabe. No 1 else.
47. This meeting is under oath. SSA1 & INSD SC ask McCabe, sitting at table in his office about unrelated leak & also about Oct30 WSJ article. *AM initials article & docs shown & admits recognizing them*. These details match in SSA & INSD SC separate 302s.
48. So INSD followed protocol of two agents at interview, written records initialed by witness/suspect, in private setting w/o interference or others present. McCabe later disputes this.
49. Per records, AM testimony States he 1. ‘Had no idea where the article came from’ & 2. ‘No idea who source might be.’ He lied, under oath, to two Sr INSD special agents.
50. At this point he knows he’s lied. Not lack of candor, AM openly lied. UNDER OATH. per SSA1 notes from interview, McCabe was unwilling to give any clues about who may possibly have been the leak; so he’s still protecting Kortan & Page at this point. May 9, 17.
51. 72 hours later, may 12, INSD emails AM a Signed Sworn Statement of the interview for AM to review, sign, return. AM takes no action on this; INSD re-sends June 23. At this point AM complains second email went to wrong AM first who forwarded, still refuses to sign.
52. Almost 2 months elapse w no action. INSD involves OIG. THIS is when @JusticeOIG becomes involved. AM is interviewed *under oath* by OIG staff Nov 29, ’17. McCabe disputes facts of May 9 interview.
53. The gut flat out LIED under oath to INSD then tells OIG staff that ‘he didn’t say that he didn’t authorize the leaks’ & ‘doesn’t remember discussing oct30 article’ even though OIG presents him w the article he initialed.
54. AM goes on to tell OIG under oath that INSD walked away w diff understanding of things than him, & that they questioned him in hallway about Oct30 article breaching interview protocol. But if in hallway, how’d he initial/sign docs???
55. He goes further: he tells OUG he has no idea & cant explain why INSD he thought it was unauthorized leak. ‘Hey I can’t help it those three guys didn’t listen. Also I don’t remember what I told them.’ For real. That’s what he told OIG. Under oath! Holy S!
56. so let’s review: he lied to Comey (not under oath). AM lied to INSD under oath. Changed story, while lying to OIG, under oath. This all leads up to FINAL interview about this ‘matter’ on July 28, ’17.
57. Remember, he still hasn’t signed the INSD Signed Sworn Statement, either. So by now you KNOW OIG & INSD have spoken to Comey, Page, Kortan, ADIC-NYFO, ADIC-WFO, INSD SC, INSD SSA1. AM is in *big* trouble.
58. But this is where it gets confusing. The report THEN talks about a PREVIOUS interview AM had a OIG on July 28 four months before: they didn’t really ask him about the oct30 article, they questioned him about the Strzok Page texts!
59. This guy lied to OIG 4 months later knowing Page/Strzok texts were out there. They reference the OCT30 article & PADAG Matthew Axelrod call of Aug 12 & Strzok/Page admitting to leaking it.
60. This is another earth shattering revelation: first, AM denies knowing & authorizing it; remember Comey’s testimony about who could. Second, he knowingly throws Page & Kortan under bus; OIG already has their testimony.
61. AM is a true piece of ????. He blamed ADUC-NYFO & ADIC-WFO & triggered a mole hunt in FBI CI division & at DOJ by lying about them, then knows the texts are out there but lies, under oath, changes story, says it’s Page & Kortan. No permission.
62. @tracybeanz covers this betrayal in her thread so I’ll move past it at this point rather than rehash but you get the point. Holy S, the duplicity of this guy… and he once ran the Counter Intelligence division and was Acting Director during much of this!
63. AM questioned under oath about Strzok/page texts on July 28, changes story & calls OIG Aug 1, is reinterviewed Nov 29.
64. Sorry this is so long. By the way, I’m beginning to appreciate the tenacity of @The_War_Economy more now. July 28: AM lies about texts & blames page & Kortan. Aug 1: calls Asst OUG says ‘hey just remembered I MAY have authorized Page.’ Nov 29: INSD lies! I told em I did!
65. Oh this is funny: AM called AIG quote ‘after spending a lot of time thinking about it.’ ROFL LMAO!!! Also says: ‘on further recollection, yeah, I authorized Page & Kortan’. Realizes Page & Strzok & Kortan flipped? Certainly not guilty conscience.
66. Whoa. Between Aug 1 call to AIG & Nov 29 OIG interview, AM sits down w INSD again. So he lied about them & they know it at this point. Whew, to be a fly on the wall for this one!
67. Aug 18: INSD SSA1 ft 1st interview & INSD SSA2 interview McCabe after page told them he authorized her to leak; McCabe finally admits it. Finally admits he’s been lying the whole time.
68. SSA1 who was present for BOTH INSD interviews of AM tells him flat out: do you have any idea how much time & agents work was wasted on this? Overtime, priority pushing other cases off, agents working round the clock. McCabe basically shrugs. Holy F.
His verbal response to SSA1: ‘yeah, I’m sorry.’ That’s it, that’s all he said in response according to both SSAs.
69. It’s @ this pt, INSD formally hands off the case to @JusticeOIG for review of McCabe’s actions and this report begins to be compiled. The Nov 29th interview goes over all these details.
70. It’s important to remember some background details here. Remember the day after Dir Wray saw @DevinNunes Memo? McCabe sent home, badge & gun rescinded told paid leave til vacation no access to cases.
71. Mccabe came unglued when meeting w Wray who told him the news, but Wray stood firm, allowed OIG to run course; he & Sessions rightly determined summary dismissal was warranted. Now think back to Thomas Paine’s article where AM threatens to burn everyone down.
72. Remember that Comey & McCabe are publicly savaging each other & BOTH have criminal offenses OUTSIDE of this report yet to be addressed that will be by the LARGER OIG report yet to come.
73. Note: McCabe’s lawyer is all over twitter claiming he’s a victim, threatening defamation suits against @realDonaldTrump who isn’t even involved; note the go-fund-me for AM references need for $s for CRIMINAL representation- it’s clear they know his indictment is imminent.
74. Stay tuned, folks. Things *just got interesting*. Fini.
Cross Posted With Constitution.com
Here’s the original IG report:
McCabe Report Redacted by Jeffrey Dunetz on Scribd
