The plot thickens: Looks more and more like Andrew McCabe's departure was linked to pending IG report

As Twitchy reported, CNN’s Jim Acosta has had a heck of a time today tweeting about Andrew G. McCabe and his abrupt departure from his post as FBI deputy director on Monday.

First, Acosta said a source told him McCabe’s departure was “a mutual decision.” In a later tweet, Acosta cited a source saying that McCabe was “essentially being pushed out.” So which is it?

What Acosta failed to mention in his tweets is that House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes met with FBI Director Chris Wray Sunday to show him that classified memo that Republicans have been lobbying to have released to the public.

NEW: NUNES agreed to show FBI Director Wray the classified House intel memo Sunday after a weeks-long lobbying effort by Rep. GOWDY, sources tell me and @rachaelmbade.

Gowdy wanted him to share it with Rod Rosenstein too, but so far that hasn’t happened.https://t.co/mGIAN0UtN6

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 29, 2018

So, on Sunday, Rep. Devin Nunes showed FBI Director Chris Wray the memo, and on Monday, McCabe was gone. It could be nothing, but both The New York Times and CBS News suggest otherwise.

We r told that Mr. Wray found something concerning in pending IG report and he was going to move McCabe into another job, which was effectively a demotion. Instead, McCabe decided to leave the FBI. https://t.co/ebZrnf9w2z

— Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanNYT) January 29, 2018

In a recent conversation, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, raised concerns about a forthcoming inspector general report examining the actions of Mr. McCabe and other senior F.B.I. officials during the 2016 presidential campaign, when the bureau was investigating both Hillary Clinton’s email use and the Trump campaign’s connections to Russia. In that discussion, according to one former law enforcement official close to Mr. McCabe, Mr. Wray suggested moving Mr. McCabe into another job, which would have been a demotion.

Instead, the former official said, Mr. McCabe chose to leave.

Hmm … so the Times says Wray suggested demoting McCabe, who instead chose to leave.

Wow: NYT reports Wray forced McCabe out after learning of a "concerning" development gleaned from the nonpartisan Inspector General's ongoing review…of the FBI's Clinton email probe. https://t.co/RdjIKwWlr5

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) January 29, 2018

CBS News offers this in addition:

NEW: Internal communication sent to FBI officials by FBI Director Christopher Wray links Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s early departure to results of an upcoming OIG investigation, CBS News confirms; says FBI must perform at the highest standards.

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 29, 2018

So there’s that OIG report again, and the suggestion that the FBI hasn’t been performing at the highest standards. Rep. Ted Lieu might think the Nunes memo is a big nothingburger, but now we’re really anxious to read it ourselves.

https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/958090070845788160

The plot thickens. #McCabeResigns https://t.co/VZKNPGpqeW

— Fred Burton (@fred_burton) January 29, 2018

I mean even the NYT is reporting this nowhttps://t.co/ZuCn2O7TZO

— bob (@artxmaverick) January 29, 2018

https://twitter.com/JordanSchachtel/status/958112193278627841

Hmm. Perhaps IG concerned about misleading statements about McCabe's pro-C Clinton conflicts and use of FBI resources for politics? https://t.co/BCEaX1mFQ8 and https://t.co/SeUV0WL3fZ https://t.co/X80B03Co8J

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) January 29, 2018

Interesting, not least because of reports that Wray went to bat for McCabe when pressured by Sessions to get rid of him. https://t.co/xfVIhABRoL

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) January 29, 2018

McCabe got snared (!) in the Inspector General investigation and was going to face a demotion but quit instead https://t.co/pQ5Thc48Ck

— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) January 29, 2018

Also, quite possible the forthcoming @DevinNunes memo forced Wray's hand.

Once Americans learn some of the troubling details, inaction from Wray would have been very hard for him to explain. https://t.co/x9aFV2kenJ

— id est (@idestINT) January 29, 2018

* popcorn *

* * *

Update:

Now CNN is corroborating the report:

FBI Director Chris Wray hints to FBI staff that a government watchdog investigation played a role in FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe's departure, sources who have seen the memo say https://t.co/wchtkf79Bf pic.twitter.com/0QcGIt33dN

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 29, 2018