LEAK: IG Horowitz Investigating McCabe’s Response To Emails Found On Weiner Laptop

A day after the New York Times reported FBI Director Christopher Wray confronted outgoing Deputy Director Andrew McCabe over unspecified findings in DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report, the Washington Post reveals the embattled bureau official is being probed over his role in examining emails found on former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s laptop. 

Washington Post reports:

The inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, has been asking witnesses why FBI leadership seemed unwilling to move forward on the examination of emails found on the laptop of former congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.)until late October — about three weeks after first being alerted to the issue, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. A key question of the internal investigation is whether McCabe or anyone else at the FBI wanted to avoid taking action on the laptop findings until after the Nov. 8 election, these people said. It is unclear whether the inspector general has reached any conclusions on that point. […] McCabe’s defenders in law enforcement say that there was nothing nefarious going on — officials were pursuing a careful process of determining whether the emails might be relevant, and that took time. Other law enforcement officials, however, have said they are concerned that the issue seemed to die for a period of time at McCabe’s desk, without explanation.

Earlier this month, Judicial Watch announced it had discovered 18 classified emails on Weiner’s laptop.

“Judicial Watch revealed today that there are at least 18 classified emails in the 798 documents recently produced by the State Department from the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s elicit email system.In a statement by the conservative watchdog,” the conservative watchdog said in a statement.

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stepped down Monday, as first reported by NBC News. 

Fox News contributor Sara Carter reported McCabe reacted furiously after colleagues demanded that he resign.

McCabe’s announcement came one day after his boss read the FISA abuse memo. While experts believe McCabe being implicated in the four-page document led to his departure, the New York Times says it was another report that caught Wray’s attention.

The New York Times reports:

In a recent conversation, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, raised concerns about a forthcoming inspector general report examining the actions of Mr. McCabe and other senior F.B.I. officials during the 2016 presidential campaign, when the bureau was investigating both Hillary Clinton’s email use and the Trump campaign’s connections to Russia. In that discussion, according to one former law enforcement official close to Mr. McCabe, Mr. Wray suggested moving Mr. McCabe into another job, which would have been a demotion. Instead, the former official said, Mr. McCabe chose to leave.

Wray’s deep concern over a report that has yet to be released yet is noteworthy, and while the New York Times‘ doesn’t infer it, it was to be expected McCabe would likely quit instead of being demoted. In other words, the demotion was the firing, except it was McCabe’s decision to fall on his own sword. Such is a common courtesy extended to anyone who has served in an organization for a long time.

It’s currently unknown when the Inspector General’s report will be released.

McCabe, who served a brief stint as acting director of the bureau, was already expected to leave. He will stay on “terminal leave” until he is eligible to retire with benefits in March,” reports CNBC.

 

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