FBI Deputy Director, Andrew McCabe, stepped down from his head role at the bureau, following months of presidential pressure, The Hill reports.
McCabe was expected to retire in early March. He has been the subject of Republican attacks, and has been accused of anti-Republican bias. He was accused of being a Clinton supporter when it came to light that his wife took nearly half a million dollars in donations for her state legislature campaign from a figure connected to Hillary Clinton.
President Trump criticized this campaign donation back in December, suggesting that it compromised McCabe's objectivity:
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
Reportedly, at a later time, the president questioned McCabe on who he voted for in the 2016 election. The then deputy director disclosed that he decided not to vote, according to CNN.
Prior to the encounter, the president wanted to know why A.G. Sessions had not replaced the acting FBI Director, who is also, a friend of Comey–who is leading the Clinton investigation
McCabe headed the probe into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's private email server; many of those looking for his dismissal believed, like the president did, that McCabe should have been fired along with Comey.
Until today, it was believed that McCabe was trying to prolong his stay at the FBI until he was up for retirement.
Although he is stepping down, he will remain on the FBI payroll until he is eligible to receive his pension benefits, reported NBC News. Following the announcement, former Attorney General Eric Holder praised the deputy director in a tweet. He regarded McCabe as a "dedicated public servant."
FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is, and has been, a dedicated public servant who has served this country well. Bogus attacks on the FBI and DOJ to distract attention from a legitimate criminal inquiry does long term, unnecessary damage to these foundations of our government.— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) January 29, 2018