Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz reiterated during congressional testimony this week that disgraced former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe lied repeatedly to his superiors after the DOJ reversed McCabe’s firing last week.
Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday, Horowitz stood by his 2018 report detailing multiple incidents in which McCabe “lacked candor” with former FBI Director James Comey and inspector general investigators.
Horowitz’s report concluded the “evidence is substantial” that McCabe “knowingly and intentionally” lied to investigators about whether he leaked sensitive information to the media about an FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation.
The report led to McCabe’s firing by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. But just last week, the DOJ reversed McCabe’s firing, granting him full retirement and allowing him to receive his pension and other benefits as well as $200,000 in missed pension payments.
When asked about the DOJ’s decision, Horowitz told lawmakers that key career officials in the Justice Department agreed with him that McCabe lied.
“They agreed with us on almost all, but actually not all of our findings,” Horowitz said.
“So they made their own independent call that, in fact, he lied on multiple occasions, but they didn’t fully find everything we found,” he continued. “My understanding is that the attorney general asked a career official in the Office of the Deputy General to handle the review and that that person recommended removal as well.”
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, asked Horowitz what kind of message the DOJ has sent to its employees that McCabe “was not held accountable for misrepresenting facts under oath.”
“I think as an IG that it’s critical that individuals be held accountable for the wrongdoing, no matter what level they’re at in an organization and that it’s particularly incumbent upon us to hold accountable senior officials at the same way we hold accountable less senior officials and newer officials,” Horowitz replied.
Listen to testimony. Justice Department IG stands by finding that Andrew McCabe lied repeatedly. Was not party to Biden DOJ decision to restore McCabe pension, expunge record as if lying/investigation/firing never happened. https://t.co/uCJWc2HvLi
— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 22, 2021
