Ex-FBI official sues US government over documents on his firing

Washington, June 14 (IANS) A lawyer for former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is suing the FBI, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its Inspector General for declining to turn over documents related to McCabe's firing.

McCabe was dismissed in March shortly before his planned retirement for what the DOJ called a "lack of candour." 

As a result, his healthcare benefits were stripped and his ability to collect a federal pension was also delayed.

McCabe's lawyer filed a lawsuit on Tuesday evening, claiming that the dismissal violated federal law and the authorities have refused to turn over materials related to McCabe's disciplinary process, Xinhua reported. 

The former FBI deputy director has come under attacks by President Donald Trump since the 2016 presidential campaign. 

McCabe's wife ran for the state Legislature in Virginia as a Democrat and accepted contributions from then Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Clinton family ally, during the failed bid in 2015.

Trump has asserted that McCabe had a conflict of interest in later overseeing the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, despite the FBI and the DOJ said McCabe and his wife observed relevant ethics requirements. 

McCabe's legal team has been reportedly working on a civil lawsuit related to his firing since March, but has not yet filed it.