During Wednesday’s World News Tonight, ABC and anchor David Muir made it clear that they cared little about how former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe mislead Inspector General investigators. Rather, they were more concerned about him losing his pension. The same was true Thursday evening when their network competitors moved on from the story while ABC was still fixated on the possibility of a lost pension after a career spanning 22 years.
“And back here at home, and the top FBI official in danger of being fired, and losing his pension,” announced Muir during the news brief. “72 hours before retirement tonight, we continue to follow this. Former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, a frequent target of President Trump, going to the Justice Department today to plead his case.”
It was only then that Muir got around to mentioning why McCabe was in some serious hot water. “An ethics office recommending he be fired for allegedly mishandling investigators over details of the Clinton Foundation investigation that ended up in a newspaper report,” he noted. “A.G. Jeff Sessions could make a decision at any time.”
Muir couldn’t even get the report correct. Saying that McCabe was “mishandling investigators” made it sound like he wasn’t using their time wisely when he was actually giving them wrong information that was critical in their investigation of the Clinton e-mail scandal.
On Wednesday, ABC Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas appeared to defend McCabe: “Those close to McCabe say he denies intentionally misleading anyone.” And Muir Kicked off that report by focusing on McCabe’s pension:
Also at this hour, we are following what will be a major decision by President Trump's attorney general, Jeff Sessions. Will he fire a top FBI official just days before his retirement? The FBI's outgoing deputy director, Andrew McCabe, four days from retiring. His pension now at stake.
It’s a great example of how questionable ABC’s priorities were. McCabe was possibly being fired for lying to investigators, an action that made Mike Flynn a felon, but they’re worried he’s going to lose his taxpayer-funded retirement plan.
Transcript below:
ABC
World News Tonight
March 15, 2018
6:46:55 PM Eastern [28 seconds]DAVID MUIR: And back here at home, and the top FBI official in danger of being fired, and losing his pension. 72 hours before retirement tonight, we continue to follow this. Former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, a frequent target of President Trump, going to the Justice Department today to plead his case. An ethics office recommending he be fired for allegedly mishandling investigators over details of the Clinton Foundation investigation that ended up in a newspaper report. A.G. Jeff Sessions could make a decision at any time.
