President Donald Trump wound himself up for months on end against now former FBI official Andrew McCabe with claims that he and other officials had led some kind of conspiracy against him from inside the Justice Department — but now, the U.S. Attorney’s office in D.C. has unceremoniously closed the investigation that they’d had open into McCabe with no apparent declaration of any guilt for him whatsoever. They’ve dropped the probe with no charges.
His lawyers Michael R. Bromwich and David Schertler shared:
‘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.’
They add, more directly addressing the ramifications of the situation:
‘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.’
McCabe originally faced allegations that he’d lied about the release of information to the media covering investigations going on at the department under his watch. In one of many petulant Trump tweets, the president proclaimed:
‘The real Collusion, the Conspiracy, the Crime, was between the Clinton Campaign, the DNC, Fusion GPS, Christopher Steele…..(and many others including Comey, McCabe, Lisa Page and her lover, Ohr and his wonderful wife, and on and on!)’
The real Collusion, the Conspiracy, the Crime, was between the Clinton Campaign, the DNC, Fusion GPS, Christopher Steele…..(and many others including Comey, McCabe, Lisa Page and her lover, Ohr and his wonderful wife, and on and on!). @replouiegohmert
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2019
And in another, he included an accusation of treason, which traditionally entails the death penalty.
He tweeted:
‘“The biggest abuse of power and corruption scandal in our history, and it’s much worse than we thought. Andrew McCabe (FBI) admitted to plotting a coup (government overthrow) when he was serving in the FBI, before he was fired for lying & leaking.” @seanhannity @FoxNews Treason!’
“The biggest abuse of power and corruption scandal in our history, and it’s much worse than we thought. Andrew McCabe (FBI) admitted to plotting a coup (government overthrow) when he was serving in the FBI, before he was fired for lying & leaking.” @seanhannity @FoxNews Treason!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2019
Yet, here’s the case now closed, with no charges. Ironically, the same attorney’s office which closed the case into McCabe also delivered the original sentencing recommendation of seven to nine years for longtime Trump ally Roger Stone, who’d faced charges over a wide-ranging obstruction of justice scheme. After that original sentencing recommendation, higher-ups at the department intervened to lower the sentencing recommendation, which still has to be dealt with by federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who’s handling the case. After that development, every prosecutor on the case withdrew from it in apparent protest, and Attorney General Bill Barr was announced as a new department lead on Trump-related matters, including the Stone case.
Just this week, Barr made headlines for an ABC interview in which he complained about the incessant Twitter commentary from the president, which he says makes his job feel “impossible” because of the background noise. Despite this criticism, Barr has in reality worked to advance the president’s interests many times, and he is continuing to do so now as well.
