Former FBI Deputy Director Fired During Trump Administration Wins Back Pension

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has won back his full pension and other benefits after settling a lawsuit with the US Justice Department — more than three years after being booted from the Trump administration just hours before he was scheduled to retire, his lawyers announced Thursday.

McCabe's dismissal deprived him of his pension, prompting cheers from former US President Donald Trump, who had been pestering McCabe over his role in the Russiagate investigation. Trump allegedly attacked the former FBI official and his wife through an unsuccessful heinous Twitter campaign right before firing McCabe.

“Politics should never play a role in the fair administration of justice and civil service personnel decisions,” McCabe said in a statement issued by his lawyers. "I hope that this result encourages the men and women of the FBI to continue to protect the American people by standing up for the truth and doing their jobs without fear of political retaliation.”

McCabe has blasted his firing as politically motivated in a public address two years ago, amid the review into the FBI’s handling of the investigation associated to former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and her campaign which concluded that he had made "an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor” — according to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions after announcing McCabe's firing.

As part of the settlement agreement, the federal government further agreed to revoke and vacate McCabe’s dismissal, restore his full retirement pension and pay more than $500,000 to satisfy "all attorney's fees, costs, and expenses."

McCabe is also entitled to other benefits granted to retiring FBI senior executives, including "official FBI credentials, badge, and time-in-service award keys mounted in the format typically provided to retiring FBI Deputy Directors" and other senior officials, according to the settlement.

"For 140 years, civil servants like Andrew McCabe have been the federal government's backbone, pledging their loyalty to the Constitution rather than to any politician or political party," Murad Hussain, a lawyer for McCabe, said in a release.

"This settlement and the district court's rulings make clear that attempts to corrupt the federal workforce through partisan intimidation and improper political influence will not go unanswered," he added.

The FBI acknowledged the negotiated settlement in a statement late Thursday, but rejected claims that the bureau acted inappropriately. "The FBI denies any wrongdoing, and further denies it violated the Constitution or any law, regulation, or policy, with respect to the events at issue in this litigation," the statement said, adding that the bureau "followed its internal processes objectively without improper influence or bias."