Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe revealed Friday that he found out he had been fired from the agency one week ago after a friend called him and cited a news report about it.
“Despite all the preparation for the worst-case scenario, I still felt disoriented and sick to my stomach,” McCabe wrote in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, describing what it was like waiting to hear whether he had been fired or not. “Around 10 p.m., a friend called to tell me that CNN was reporting that I had been fired. She read me the attorney general’s statement.”
“So, after two decades of public service, I found out that I had been fired in the most disembodied, impersonal way — third-hand, based on a news account,” McCabe added. “Shortly after getting word, I noticed an email from a Justice Department official in my work account, telling me that I had been ‘removed from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the civil service.’”
Earlier this week, a representative of McCabe claimed that the former official had learned of his ouster from a press release. However, the Justice Department maintained that McCabe had been warned in advance “of any news media,” according to CNN.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner for comment.
McCabe was fired last Friday by Attorney General Jeff Sessions just before he was able to retire with a full pension. He has been under internal investigation regarding the FBI’s role in federal inquiries during the 2016 election.
McCabe defended himself in the op-ed, claiming that although he had been accused of “lack of candor,” he did not “knowingly” mislead investigators.
McCabe also condemned President Trump, calling the commander in chief’s tweet celebrating his termination “unhinged.”
