WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired Andrew McCabe, the FBI's former No. 2 official who was deeply involved in the agency's investigations of Hillary Clinton and Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. election and was repeatedly criticized by President Donald Trump, he said on Friday.

"Based on the report of the Inspector General, the findings of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility, and the recommendation of the Department's senior career official, I have terminated the employment of Andrew McCabe effective immediately," Sessions said.

McCabe's dismissal came two days before his 50th birthday, when he would have been eligible to retire from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with his full pension. The firing - which comes nine months after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey - puts McCabe's pension in jeopardy.

It also is likely to raise questions about whether McCabe received an overly harsh punishment due to political pressure by the Republican president, who has blasted McCabe on Twitter and called for his ouster.

"I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey," McCabe said in a statement.

"This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort ... to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally." (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Will Dunham; Additional reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Bill Trott and Nick Macfie ) </s> FBI Director James Comey has been personally removed from office by President Donald Trump, according to a statement from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and reported by numerous outlets, including ABC News.

The short statement says “Today, President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office.”

The statement says Trump “made the decision based on the clear recommendations of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.” It also reads “Today will mark a new day for our crown jewel of law enforcement.”

No further details are available at this time; this is a developing story. </s> President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey Tuesday evening, dismissing the former bureau chief in a letter addressing him directly.

"I have received the attached letters from the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the United States recommending your dismissal as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," the President wrote to Comey. "I have accepted their recommendation and you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately.

"While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau," Trump added.

"It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission."

You can read Trump's letter to Comey below:

White House Statement on James Comey by Katie Reilly on Scribd

Comey's firing came not long after the FBI told the Senate Judiciary committee that Comey had misspoken during his testimony about Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin forwarding thousands of emails to her husband, former Congressman Anthony Weiner. </s> In a statement Friday making it official, the FBI announced Acting Deputy Director David Bowdich will permanently retain the position he has held on an interim basis since his predecessor’s ouster.

Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe was fired last month by Attorney General Jeff Sessions just over a day before he would have been eligible for his full pension.

Though McCabe had been a frequent target of ridicule by President Donald Trump, Sessions cited a yet-to-be-released inspector general’s report indicating that the high-ranking official improperly relayed information to reporters as the reason for his decision.

McCabe’s replacement had been associate deputy director prior the promotion to acting deputy director.

A formal announcement Friday by FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed widespread speculation that Bowdich would retain the position on a full-time basis.

The promotion marks the latest achievement in a career that included leading the bureau’s response to the deadly mass shooting at an office holiday party in San Bernardino, California, in 2015. Bowdich had earlier served on a tactical team and performed duties as a sniper.

With the announcement came a chain of open positions for which Wray also provided updates.

Bowdich’s old post will be filled by Paul Abbate, the official heretofore in charge of the bureau’s criminal and cyber investigations branch.

The position vacated by Abbate’s promotion will be filled by David Resch, who has been serving as an assistant director of training at the FBI’s Quantico academy in Virginia.

Wray also announced several other personnel changes, though most of the media attention related to McCabe’s replacement amid continued attacks on the FBI by Trump and many of his allies.

Trump has renewed his vitriol against former FBI Director James Comey in the wake of the released excerpts from the latter’s soon-to-be-released memoir.

The president has similarly belittled McCabe’s service at the bureau.

In light of that pattern, which included an executive tweet soon after Sessions’ decision, McCabe concluded he was fired for political reasons.

Trump tweeted that it was a “great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI” and “for Democracy” in reference to the decision to fire McCabe.

He also took the opportunity to again pile on his frequent foe and McCabe’s former superior.

“Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy,” Trump wrote. “He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!”

In a tweet late last year, Trump also referenced the pension McCabe came within hours of receiving.

“FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits,” he wrote. “90 days to go?!!!”

What do you think? Scroll down to comment below. </s> US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday fired Andrew McCabe, the FBI’s former No. 2 official who was deeply involved in the agency’s investigations of Hillary Clinton and Russia’s role in the 2016 US election and was repeatedly criticized by President Donald Trump.

McCabe said in a lengthy statement that he believes he is being politically targeted because he corroborated former FBI Director James Comey’s claims that Trump tried to pressure him into killing the Russia probe.

Trump ousted Comey last year and later acknowledged in a televised interview that he fired Comey over “this Russia thing.”

“Based on the report of the Inspector General, the findings of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility, and the recommendation of the Department’s senior career official, I have terminated the employment of Andrew McCabe effective immediately,” Sessions said in a statement.

McCabe’s dismissal came two days before his 50th birthday, when he would have been eligible to retire from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with his full pension. The firing – which comes nine months after Trump fired Comey – puts McCabe’s pension in jeopardy.

It also is likely to raise questions about whether McCabe received an overly harsh punishment due to political pressure by the Republican president, who has blasted McCabe on Twitter and called for his ouster.

Comey’s firing paved the way for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to tap Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is now leading the investigation into possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Trump has denied there was any collusion.

“I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey,” McCabe said in his statement.

“This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort … to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally.”

McCabe had stepped down from his position as FBI deputy director in January but remained on leave pending retirement.

His departure was triggered by a critical report from the Justice Department’s inspector general that eventually led to a recommendation that he be fired.

The report said McCabe misled investigators about his communications with a former Wall Street Journal reporter who was writing about McCabe’s role in probes tied to Clinton, including an investigation of the Clinton family’s charitable foundation.

In his statement, McCabe denied ever misleading investigators.

He added that the release of the inspector general’s report was “accelerated” after he testified behind closed doors before the US House Intelligence Committee where he revealed he could back up Comey’s claims. Comey’s firing has become central to questions about whether Trump unlawfully sought to obstruct the Russia investigation.

McCabe could potentially be a crucial witness in Mueller’s investigation.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> Attorney General Jeff Sessions has fired former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe two days before he was slated to retire — and become eligible for full pension benefits.

The Justice Department recommended his termination. In a statement, Sessions said reports from both the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General and the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility concluded that McCabe had made "an unauthorized disclosure to the news media" and "lacked candor — including under oath — on multiple occasions."

McCabe, who had been the deputy director of the FBI, took over the agency on an interim basis after President Donald Trump fired James Comey last year, but stepped down in January.

McCabe told the New York Times, "The idea that I was dishonest is just wrong," and suggested that "this is part of an effort to discredit me as a witness."

McCabe is a potential witness in the FBI investigation into Trump's alleged ties to Russia, and could corroborate former FBI Director Comey's potential testimony. Although he had already announced his retirement, his firing places his federal pension at risk.

In December, Trump referenced that pension issue in a Twitter post, saying that McCabe was "racing the clock to retire with full benefits."

Trump and some Republicans in Congress have accused McCabe of political bias, citing his role at the FBI during investigations related to Hillary Clinton and Trump. They question his role in the Clinton email probe and the investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin.

The president had thrown jabs at McCabe in a manner unusual for a president and a top FBI official. Trump repeatedly accused McCabe of improper ties to Clinton because former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe — a Clinton ally — backed McCabe's wife's run for a state office in 2015. The Wall Street Journal reported in October 2016 that McAuliffe's political organization gave nearly $500,000 to Jill McCabe's campaign for state Senate.

The FBI had said McCabe followed the proper steps to avoid conflicts of interest. His wife's run for office also started months before he had any role in the Clinton probe.

McCabe released a statement on his firing. Here's what he wrote:

I have been an FBI Special Agent for over 21 years. I spent half of that time investigating Russian Organized Crime as a street agent and Supervisor in New York City. I have spent the second half of my career focusing on national security issues and protecting this country from terrorism. I served in some of the most challenging, demanding investigative and leadership roles in the FBI. And I was privileged to serve as Deputy Director during a particularly tough time.

 

 For the last year and a half, my family and I have been the targets of an unrelenting assault on our reputation and my service to this country. Articles too numerous to count have leveled every sort of false, defamatory and degrading allegation against us. The President's tweets have amplified and exacerbated it all. He called for my firing. He called for me to be stripped of my pension after more than 20 years of service. And all along we have said nothing, never wanting to distract from the mission of the FBI by addressing the lies told and repeated about us.

 

 No more.

 

 The investigation by the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has to be understood in the context of the attacks on my credibility. The investigation flows from my attempt to explain the FBI's involvement and my supervision of investigations involving Hillary Clinton. I was being portrayed in the media over and over as a political partisan, accused of closing down investigations under political pressure. The FBI was portrayed as caving under that pressure, and making decisions for political rather than law enforcement purposes. Nothing was further from the truth. In fact, this entire investigation stems from my efforts, fully authorized under FBI rules, to set the record straight on behalf of the Bureau, and to make clear that we were continuing an investigation that people in DOJ opposed.

 

 The OIG investigation has focused on information I chose to share with a reporter through my public affairs officer and a legal counselor. As Deputy Director, I was one of only a few people who had the authority to do that. It was not a secret, it took place over several days, and others, including the Director, were aware of the interaction with the reporter. It was the type of exchange with the media that the Deputy Director oversees several times per week. In fact, it was the same type of work that I continued to do under Director Wray, at his request. The investigation subsequently focused on who I talked to, when I talked to them, and so forth. During these inquiries, I answered questions truthfully and as accurately as I could amidst the chaos that surrounded me. And when I thought my answers were misunderstood, I contacted investigators to correct them.

 

 But looking at that in isolation completely misses the big picture. The big picture is a tale of what can happen when law enforcement is politicized, public servants are attacked, and people who are supposed to cherish and protect our institutions become instruments for damaging those institutions and people.

 

 Here is the reality: I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey. The release of this report was accelerated only after my testimony to the House Intelligence Committee revealed that I would corroborate former Director Comey's accounts of his discussions with the President. The OIG's focus on me and this report became a part of an unprecedented effort by the Administration, driven by the President himself, to remove me from my position, destroy my reputation, and possibly strip me of a pension that I worked 21 years to earn. The accelerated release of the report, and the punitive actions taken in response, make sense only when viewed through this lens. Thursday's comments from the White House are just the latest example of this.

 

 This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally, but to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally. It is part of this Administration's ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the Special Counsel investigation, which continue to this day. Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the Special Counsel's work.

 

 I have always prided myself on serving my country with distinction and integrity, and I always encouraged those around me to do the same. Just ask them. To have my career end in this way, and to be accused of lacking candor when at worst I was distracted in the midst of chaotic events, is incredibly disappointing and unfair. But it will not erase the important work I was privileged to be a part of, the results of which will in the end be revealed for the country to see.

 

 I have unfailing faith in the men and women of the FBI and I am confident that their efforts to seek justice will not be deterred.

For more details, see the NBC News report here. </s> WASHINGTON -- Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe says the Justice Department's decision to fire him just two days before his retirement is part of the Trump administration's "war on the FBI." McCabe, who briefly led the agency after Director James Comey was fired, said his dismissal by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday night was the latest attack on his credibility.

He has claimed he's being singled out because of what he witnessed in the aftermath of Comey's ouster.

McCabe was fired a day after FBI ethics officials recommended his dismissal, reports CBS News justice correspondent Paula Reid, and just before the expected release of an Inspector General's report which is expected to show that he shared information with the media about the agency's investigation into the Clinton Foundation.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fires former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe

In a statement, Sessions said McCabe, "lacked candor -- including under oath -- on multiple occasions… all FBI employees know that lacking candor under oath results in dismissal."

But McCabe pushed back hard, saying his firing is yet another attempt by the administration to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. election process, and allegations that Mr. Trump's campaign colluded with those efforts.

In a statement, McCabe wrote that he was, "being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey."

Part of Mueller's probe is looking into whether President Trump was trying to obstruct justice by firing Comey.

Special counsel Robert Mueller sends subpoena to Trump Organization

McCabe said in his statement that the inspector general's report was fast-tracked after he told the House Intelligence Committee he would corroborate Comey's accounts of conversations he had with the president. Comey has testified that Mr. Trump asked if he would end an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

McCabe spoke directly about the ongoing Russia investigation in his statement.

"It is part of this administration's ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the special counsel investigation, which continue to this day," he said. "Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the special counsel's work."

President Trump tweeted shortly after midnight that it was a "great day" for the FBI and "Democracy," and he accused "sanctimonious" Comey of making McCabe, "seem like a choir boy."

Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2018

In a phone interview with CBS News' senior investigator producer Pat Milton, McCabe said he rejected the findings in the (Inspector General's) report, calling it "misleading and unfair."

"I strongly believe this is the latest chapter in a yearlong attack on my credibility and service to the country," McCabe said.

In his statement, McCabe said "to have my career end in this way, and to be accused of lacking candor when at worst I was distracted in the midst of chaotic events, is incredibly disappointing and unfair. But it will not erase the important work I was privileged to be a part of, the results of which will in the end be revealed for the country to see."

McCabe said he was notified of his firing by a press release. The 49-year-old is likely to keep at least some of his pension.

Read McCabe's full statement or read the text below:

Before and after former FBI director James Comey met with President Trump in Feb. 2017, Comey and top FBI officials, including McCabe, were troubled by Mr. Trump's repeated attempts to meet alone with Comey, CBS News' justice and homeland security correspondent Jeff Pegues reports.

Most of the top FBI officials in on the discussions with Comey after his meetings with Mr. Trump have left the bureau in the past year, one way or another, Pegues reports. Comey and McCabe were fired.

The report by the Department of Justice Inspector General found evidence that McCabe had questionable contacts with a reporter and was not fully forthcoming when asked about it about an investigation concerning the Clinton Foundation. Those familiar with McCabe's side of the story say he was authorized to talk to reporters.

The decision came after Associate Deputy Attorney General Scott Schools met with McCabe Thursday, a part of an effort to shift the McCabe decision to "career officials" within the DOJ, according to a source familiar with the process. The optics, the source says, are not good for Attorney General Sessions to fire a career civil servant who is frequently criticized by the president. Schools is among the top career officials at the DOJ currently, and the department wanted to pin the outcome of the situation on long-established institutional norms, not politics.

President Trump has blasted McCabe in the past, particularly over his wife's acceptance of campaign cash from an ally of Hillary Clinton's, before McCabe began FBI's investigation of Clinton's email server. He also said McCabe was "racing the clock to retire with full benefits." </s> Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by Trump in May, called the president 'unethical, and untethered to the truth,' according to excerpts from his memoir. — Reuters picWASHINGTON, April 14 — The US Department of Justice’s inspector general released a report yesterday concluding that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe misled investigators about a decision to break with the agency’s standard policy and inform a journalist about a probe into the Clinton Foundation in 2016.

The highly anticipated report detailed an investigation that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited when he fired McCabe last month, hours before the 21-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was set to retire and receive his full pension.

Responding to the inspector general’s report, McCabe said he believed repeated calls by President Donald Trump to fire him had prompted a rush to judgment and an unfair probe into his conduct. He said he was authorised to share the information with reporters and had not intentionally misled anyone.

“The termination of Mr. McCabe was completely unjustified. And the rush to fire him, at the goading of the president, was unworthy of the great traditions of the Department of Justice,” McCabe’s counsel said in the statement yesterday.

Trump portrayed the report’s findings as vindication of his criticism of McCabe and former FBI Director James Comey as biased for their roles in shepherding along a federal probe into alleged collusion between Russia and his 2016 campaign.

The report was released as advance copies of Comey’s new memoir were obtained by the press. Comey, who was fired by Trump in May, called the president “unethical, and untethered to the truth,” according to excerpts from the book.

The inspector general’s 39-page report found that McCabe should not have authorised FBI officials to speak with the press about the Clinton Foundation probe, as it broke with policy against disclosing an ongoing investigation. The report also concluded that McCabe was not upfront with investigators about the matter, including on three occasions when he was under oath.

“He LIED! LIED! LIED! McCabe was totally controlled by Comey — McCabe is Comey!!,” Trump tweeted yesterday in reference to the report on McCabe. “No collusion, all made up by this den of thieves and lowlifes!”

The report, written by Inspector General Michael Horowitz, said McCabe “lacked candor” in conversations with Comey and other officials about his green-lighting the sharing information with a Wall Street Journal reporter who was working on a story about an FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation.

According to the report, the reporter told FBI officials he had heard that McCabe had given an order to “stand down” on the investigation ahead of the 2016 presidential election, which was days away.

McCabe then authorised telling the reporter that no such order had been given and to relay the contents of a conversation between McCabe and a Justice Department official in which McCabe pushed back against the official’s suggestion that no overt steps be taken during the campaign.

McCabe said he was authorised, as deputy director, to disclose information about the August 2016 call. The inspector general, in contrast, found that McCabe violated FBI policy by acknowledging the existence of a criminal investigation that was not public at the time.

The inspector general also concluded that McCabe initially had been untruthful about authorising the FBI officials to engage the reporter. This, according to the report, included not being upfront with Comey in a conversation the day after the article appeared and later misleading FBI inspectors.

In a detailed rebuttal to the report, McCabe said he had made Comey aware of what he was doing, and that the report showed that Comey’s recollection of their conversation was “fragmentary” and his statements about it “equivocal.”

McCabe said he never deliberately misled any investigators and described the allegations against him as the result of misunderstandings and “honest failures of recollection based on the swirl of events around him” at the time. — Reuters </s> The deputy director of the FBI is stepping down – a week after it was reported that President Donald Trump was lobbying for his ouster.

Andrew McCabe, who had been under fire from Republicans in recent months over perceived partisanship and bias, had indicated that he planned on stepping down as recently as December. Just last week, Mr Trump reportedly encouraged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to put pressure on FBI Director Christopher Wray to fire Mr McCabe. Mr Wray had reportedly been pressuring Mr McCabe to do just that, citing an upcoming inspector general report that examines the bureau's many investigations in 2016.

Mr McCabe will remain on the FBI payroll until mid-March, sources told NBC News, when he will be eligible to retire with full benefits.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

The movement in the FBI follows roughly a month after Mr McCabe was thrashed by Mr Trump on Twitter, and also privately during a meeting in the Oval Office.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Monday that Mr Trump did not play a part in the decisions surrounding Mr McCabe's departure, and said that Mr Trump stands by his past statements about the departing deputy director.

The Washington Post reported earlier this month that, when Mr Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey last year, Mr Trump met with Mr McCabe in the Oval and the President asked the FBI’s second in command who he had voted for in 2016.

Shape Created with Sketch. The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation 1/17 Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Mueller’s team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty 2/17 Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP 3/17 George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter 4/17 Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images 5/17 Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images 6/17 Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images 7/17 Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images 8/17 Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images 9/17 Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images 10/17 Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters 11/17 Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images 12/17 Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images 13/17 Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters 14/17 Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons 15/17 James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images 16/17 Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images 17/17 Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images 1/17 Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Mueller’s team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty 2/17 Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP 3/17 George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter 4/17 Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images 5/17 Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images 6/17 Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images 7/17 Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images 8/17 Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images 9/17 Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images 10/17 Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters 11/17 Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images 12/17 Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images 13/17 Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters 14/17 Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons 15/17 James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images 16/17 Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images 17/17 Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

During that meeting, Mr Trump also reportedly vented frustration with the fact that Mr McCabe’s wife, a Democrat, had received donations during her failed 2015 Virginia state Senate race from a political action committee run by a close ally to Hillary Clinton, Mr Trump’s 2016 opponent. Mr Trump aired those grievances once again on Twitter in December.

Mr Comey’s firing led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, whose team is investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and any ties the Trump campaign may have had with Moscow.

The New York Times reports that Mr Trump also tried to fire Mr Mueller last year, not long after he fired Mr Comey. He was stopped at the time by White House counsel Don McGahn.

Mr Trump, during his visit to Switzerland last week, called those reports “Fake News”.

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The soon-to-be retirement of Mr McCabe marks the end of a long career in public service. Mr McCabe has served at the FBI since 1996, and has worked there during the tenures of both Mr Comey and Mr Mueller.

Mr Mueller's investigation has quickly expanded over the past year, and has resulted in at least four indictments of officials connected to Mr Trump's 2016 campaign.

That includes the indictments of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates, both of whom pleaded not guilty to the charges. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was also indicted by Mr Mueller's team, as was former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos.

Mr Mueller's team is also reportedly seeking an interview with Mr Trump himself, and has previously interviewed Mr Sessions as a part of their probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

It is unclear if Mr Trump will eventually agree to an interview with the Mueller team, and under what circumstances the President might agree to doing so.
U.S. President Donald Trump removes James Comey as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Andrew G. McCabe stepping in as acting director.