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MelissaB

(16,420 posts)
Mon Jan 22, 2018, 09:07 PM Jan 2018

FBI director threatens to resign to get the attorney general and the president's lawyer to stop pres

Just that extremely normal thing where the FBI director threatens to resign to get the attorney general and the president's lawyer to stop pressuring him to fire his deputy.




Scoop: FBI director threatened to resign amid Trump, Sessions pressure

Attorney General Jeff Sessions — at the public urging of President Donald Trump — has been pressuring FBI Director Christopher Wray to fire Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, but Wray threatened to resign if McCabe was removed, according to three sources with direct knowledge.

*Wray's resignation under those circumstances would have created a media firestorm. The White House — understandably gun-shy after the Comey debacle — didn’t want that scene, so McCabe remains.

*Sessions told White House Counsel Don McGahn about how upset Wray was about the pressure on him to fire McCabe, and McGahn told Sessions this issue wasn’t worth losing the FBI Director over, according to a source familiar with the situation.

*Why it matters: Trump started his presidency by pressuring one FBI Director (before canning him), and then began pressuring another (this time wanting his deputy canned). This much meddling with the FBI for this long is not normal.

McGahn has been informed about these ongoing conversations, though he has not spoken with Wray about FBI personnel, according to an administration source briefed on the situation. Trump nominated Wray, previously George W. Bush's Deputy Attorney General, last June to replace James Comey as director.

Trump has also tweeted negatively about other senior FBI officials who are allies of Comey, including the former top FBI lawyer James A. Baker who was recently “reassigned” after pressure from Sessions.

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said of Wray: “As we’ve said, the president has enormous respect for the thousands of rank and file FBI agents who make up the world’s most professional and talented law enforcement agency. He believes politically-motivated senior leaders including former Director Comey and others he empowered have tainted the agency’s reputation for unbiased pursuit of justice. The president appointed Chris Wray because he is a man of true character and integrity and the right choice to clean up the misconduct at the highest levels of the FBI and give the rank and file confidence in their leadership.”

Read more: https://www.axios.com/scoop-1516661397-877adb3e-5f8d-44a1-8a2f-d4f0894ca6a7.html
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FBI director threatens to resign to get the attorney general and the president's lawyer to stop pres (Original Post) MelissaB Jan 2018 OP
wtf is going on here? triron Jan 2018 #1
A total dumpster fire, it seems Oneironaut Jan 2018 #2
Mueller just got Jeff Sessions !!!!!! dixiegrrrrl Jan 2018 #10
Two days after James Baker accompanies Andrew McCabe to a House hearing BOOM he's nailed. L. Coyote Jan 2018 #3
Leak inquiry? Of the republican variety? triron Jan 2018 #7
What's Wrong with McCabe? Kristofer Bry Jan 2018 #4
Yeah, what's Trump's deal with McCabe? GreenEyedLefty Jan 2018 #5
Hannity has been spreading the rumor that McCabe and/or Comey paid for the dosier. progressoid Jan 2018 #11
Trump fired FBI Dir. Comey for not covering up the collusion investigation. dixiegrrrrl Jan 2018 #12
Does it even matter anymore? fallout87 Jan 2018 #6
Why is this not obstruction of justice? By Sessions pressuring Wray and Trump blueinredohio Jan 2018 #8
Oh boy, Trump just can't stop meddling with the FBI Farmer-Rick Jan 2018 #9
On Lawrence, guest says: "WRAY has gained my respect." UTUSN Jan 2018 #13

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
10. Mueller just got Jeff Sessions !!!!!!
Mon Jan 22, 2018, 11:53 PM
Jan 2018


Oh hot damn in the morning. that lil chinless pettigrew is going down!!! on obstruction charges.

GreenEyedLefty

(2,073 posts)
5. Yeah, what's Trump's deal with McCabe?
Mon Jan 22, 2018, 11:05 PM
Jan 2018

There are too many threads to this story for me to follow all of them... if someone can give a reader's digest version it would be much appreciated!

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
12. Trump fired FBI Dir. Comey for not covering up the collusion investigation.
Tue Jan 23, 2018, 12:05 AM
Jan 2018

That left Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe in charge of the investigation.

Trump appointed another FBI Director, Christopher Wray, who turned out to be an honest person.

Trump and Sessions then decided Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe needed to be fired in order to sabotage the Trump-Russia investigation.
They asked Wray to do it.
By asking Wray to fire McCabe, Trump and Sessions committed obstruction of justice charges. Again. Felonies.

Wray refused. He said he would go public if they asked him. They backed down.
Now that is all over the news, which is real bad for Trump and the elf.

Farmer-Rick

(10,240 posts)
9. Oh boy, Trump just can't stop meddling with the FBI
Mon Jan 22, 2018, 11:31 PM
Jan 2018

He is such a crook and a criminal, he's got to destroy law enforcement and investigating ability of the federal government. Trump can't stand an honest man.

Trump wants the FBI to be his political henchmen and the FBI doesn't see it's role that way. No doubt Putin told him he needed a KGB or more likely an SS.

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