McCabe wins back full FBI pension after being fired under Trump

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe will receive his missed pension payments worth about $200,000 and other benefits after he settled a lawsuit with the Department of Justice.

The settlement, released Thursday, reversed McCabe’s March 2018 firing and allowed him to officially retire and receive benefits. The government will also pay for $500,000 of McCabe’s legal fees, The New York Times first reported.

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe just a day before he was scheduled to retire with full benefits. The firing came amid allegations that McCabe lied about leaking information about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of State, though prosecutors did not charge McCabe with making false statements to law enforcement, the Times noted.

In 2019, the former deputy director filed a lawsuit claiming his firing was politically motivated.

McCabe drew the ire of former President Trump by being a leader in early Russia-related investigations that prompted questions of whether Trump had obstructed justice. 

“For 140 years, civil servants like Andrew McCabe have been the federal government’s backbone, pledging their loyalty to the Constitution rather than to any politician or political party,” McCabe’s attorney Murad Hussain said in a statement regarding Thursday’s settlement. 

“This settlement and the district court’s rulings make clear that attempts to corrupt the federal workforce through partisan intimidation and improper political influence will not go unanswered,” Hussain added.

McCabe also released a statement, saying, “Politics should never play a role in the fair administration of justice and Civil Service personnel decisions.

“I hope that this result encourages the men and women of the FBI to continue to protect the American people by standing up for the truth and doing their jobs without fear of political retaliation.”

The Justice Department did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement.

The Hill has reached out to the agency for comment.