So here’s the thing. I’ve told you all repeatedly that I trust Scott Schools who would be the senior career official referenced below in Sessions’ statement. I stand behind that now. I trust Schools (and Rod) appropriately and honorably on what McCabe did. I also trust /1
Robin Ashton who is career (not political) & the head of OPR. So what this tells me is 2 things: (1) McCabe screwed up something bad enough that Robin and Scott supported this; and (2) Sessions just put the icing on the politicization of DOJ cake. What is important to realize /2
Is that Sessions did not HAVE to fire McCabe. He had discretion to let the clock run out and let McCabe retire. He did not have to fire McCabe and usually - in order to protect the political folks - Sessions wouldn’t put his name on this. Sessions is on his knees for Trump and /3
Trump is going to drop this on Sessions too. So in one fell swoop Sessions has verified the politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice to ingratiate himself to the President and, in so doing, had rendered the rule of law meaningless. If you allow those in power to take /4
Their personal vendettas out on their political opponents - here McCabe - you have undermined the public and the judiciary’s ability to trust that the rule of law is enforced fairly & equally. 1st you fire your enemies. 2nd you prosecute and imprison your enemies. That makes /5
Us - ultimately - no better than a nation without laws. And while many of you who follow me know I am NOT alarmist when it comes to most DOJ related stories, please note I am now alarmed. McCabe will be fine; just like @Comey and @SallyQYates are and will be fine. It’s DOJ as /6
The institution itself - as separate for the White House, as walled off from political influence of all White Houses before - that has been trashed. Not by Schools, not by Rod, not even by Trump. By Jeff Sessions. Who had a choice to protect DOJ as an institution or himself. /7
Sessions chose himself & will be gone by the end of the month, despite this desperate and cowardly decision. So he threw #DOJ’s independence away cheaply and the rule of law, for the buy one get one free price. /END P.S. I’m possibly mistaken that the OPR official was Ashton.
