Ten Things You Need to Know About the Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe

With the recent firing of James Comey, following a tumultuous season of scandals and accusations being flung from both sides of the aisle, the Trump administration is now coordinating with acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe.  But as the nation longs to return to a state of trust with the FBI, it’s important to understand who is leading the charge, albeit temporarily.  Here are ten things you need to know about Andrew McCabe.

1. Andrew McCabe graduated from Duke University in 1990 and obtained his Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Washington University in St. Louis.  He spent three years in a private law practice before joining the FBI.
2. McCabe joined the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in 1996, working from the New York Field Office.  He has helped lead the Counterterrorism Division, the National Security Branch, and the Washington Field Office.
3. Starting in 2009, McCabe ran the High-Value Interrogation Group for the FBI. This program was tasked with researching interrogation techniques after the Department of Defense banned “enhanced interrogation techniques,” such as waterboarding.
4. McCabe became Deputy Director of the FBI in February of 2016, after being appointed by James Comey on January 9^th, 2016.
5. McCabe then became the acting Director of the FBI by legal statute after the termination of James Comey by President Trump.  He is also reportedly under consideration to be the interim Director as well.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein are expected to make an announcement by Thursday for interim director, from a reported pool of four to eight individuals currently being interviewed.
6. As Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe headed the investigation in Hillary Clinton over her private server and emails from her time as Secretary of State.
7. McCabe’s wife, Dr. Jill McCabe, received an estimated $500,000 in donations from a Democratic Party PAC that was run by the Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe. Dr. McCabe also received $207,788 from the Virginia Democratic Party, which McAuliffe is also connected to. The donations were in support of a failed bid for the Virginia State Senate. The controversy stems from the extensive connections Bill and Hillary Clinton have to Governor McAuliffe and McCabe’s role in the investigation into Clinton.
8. In January of 2017, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, Michael E. Horowitz, announced he would be conducting an investigation to determine whether McCabe should have recused himself from the Clinton email case.
9. While testifying before Congress regarding the termination of Comey, McCabe said “I can tell you that I hold Director Comey in the absolute highest regard. I have the highest respect for his considerable abilities and his integrity.”
10. McCabe testified that the dismissal of Comey has had zero impact on the FBI’s investigations. He also told Senator Ron Wyden that he would not be updating the White House on the Russian investigation. However, he also emphasized that “there has been no effort to impede our investigation to date.”