FBI head threatened to resign after Sessions pressured him to fire deputy director: report

FBI Director Christopher Wray threatened to resign after Attorney General Jeff Sessions pressured him to remove Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Axios reported Monday.

Wray reportedly told Sessions that he would resign if McCabe was removed from his post, explosive allegations that will only increase attention on President Trump’s interactions with the Justice Department.

Sessions also allegedly told White House counsel Don McGahn about Wray’s response to the pressure for him to fire McCabe. McGahn replied by telling Sessions that McCabe wasn’t worth losing Wray, according to Axios.

{mosads}If Wray had resigned, he would be the second FBI director to leave the Trump administration, after Trump fired James Comey in May.

Trump interviewed McCabe to replace Comey, but eventually tapped Wray to take over as director.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said that Trump “believes politically-motivated senior leaders including former Director Comey and others he empowered have tainted the agency’s reputation for unbiased pursuit of justice.”

“The president appointed Chris Wray because he is a man of true character and integrity and the right choice to clean up the misconduct at the highest levels of the FBI and give the rank and file confidence in their leadership,” Shah said.

The FBI and Justice Department declined to comment to Axios. 

Republicans have harshly criticized McCabe over the FBI’s handling of the probe into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, as well as the Justice Department’s investigation into Russian election interference.

The FBI ruled that McCabe did not have any role in the probe into Clinton’s use of the private server while his wife ran for state office in Virginia as a Democrat, despite GOP claims that he posed a conflict of interest in the investigation.

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), a close Clinton ally, donated to Jill McCabe’s failed campaign in his state.

Several GOP lawmakers have called for McCabe to be removed from the agency. He was interviewed by congressional committees behind closed doors for hours last month.

McCabe is also reportedly planning on retiring from the job in March, when he will be eligible for full pension benefits.

Trump attacked McCabe on Twitter last month. 

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 

How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin’ James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wife’s campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017