>
Article snippet: WASHINGTON — The F.B.I.’s embattled deputy director, Andrew G. McCabe, an unlikely lightning rod who has been attacked repeatedly by President Trump and congressional Republicans, is expected to retire after he becomes eligible for his pension early next year, according to people familiar with his decision. While Mr. McCabe’s plans to leave aren’t unexpected, his decision should take some of the pressure off Christopher A. Wray, who was confirmed as F.B.I. director in August. Mr. Trump has complained to confidantes that Mr. Wray has not moved fast enough to replace the senior leadership that he inherited from his predecessor, James B. Comey, whom Mr. Trump summarily dismissed in May. A White House official said in a statement this week that many senior leaders of the bureau were “politically motivated” and said Mr. Wray was the “right choice to clean up the misconduct at the highest levels of the F.B.I.” On Saturday, Mr. Trump went after Mr. McCabe and Mr. Comey again in a fusillade on Twitter. And he seemed to mock Mr. McCabe for delaying his departure until his pension is fully vested in March. In fact, as a career civil servant, Mr. McCabe, 49, has protections and cannot be pushed out by the president. Mr. McCabe, who was appointed deputy director in January 2016, has endured one of the most contentious periods in the F.B.I.’s history. He has had to deal with mass shootings and terrorist attacks that have rattled the country while navigating the incendiary pol... Link to the full article to read more