Deputy FBI Director McCabe resigns

WASHINGTON—Andrew McCabe, deputy director of the FBI, stepped down from his position Monday amid growing tension between President Donald Trump and the bureau, according to news reports. Last week, the news site Axios reported that FBI Director Christopher Wray threatened to resign because the White House wanted to force out McCabe. In response, White House spokesman Raj Shah issued a statement that Trump “believes politically motivated senior leaders” at the FBI continue to taint the agency’s reputation. McCabe first joined the bureau in 1996. He served under former FBI directors Robert Mueller, who’s leading the investigation into possible Russian interferene in the 2016 presidential election, and James Comey. After Trump fired Comey last May, McCabe filled in as acting director of the FBI until the Senate confirmed Wray. The Washington Post reported at the time that Trump complained about McCabe’s wife receiving campaign donations from groups connected to his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. McCabe is eligible to retire with full benefits in mid-March, but with accumulated leave, he can receive those benefits earlier, according to NBC News.