ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has a rare opportunity to restore the Department of Justice’s tarnished reputation by ensuring that former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe faces criminal charges for his alleged lying and leaking as discovered by the DOJ Inspector General.

One of the most insidious narratives from the revelations of the Justice Department and FBI over the past two years is the appearance that crimes are enforced or ignored depending on who you are and with whom who you are politically affiliated.

Former FBI Director James Comey’s wrote in his new book, A Higher Loyalty, that Hillary Clinton’s standing in the polls and the potential that she would be the next President of the United States probably influenced his behavior in overseeing the investigation:

“It is entirely possible,” Comey writes, “that because I was making decisions in an environment where Hillary Clinton was sure to be the next president, my concern about making her an illegitimate president by concealing the restarted investigation bore greater weight than it would have if the election appeared closer or if Donald Trump were ahead in all polls. But I don’t know.”

Comey’s behavior in his investigation of Clinton’s email server accomplished the rarest of feats in the DC Swamp. He united Democrats and Republicans who both condemned his behavior and reckless, grandstanding press conference. Democrats called for his scalp right up until the moment Donald Trump actually fired him. Then Comey was canonized as a martyr to truth, justice and the Democratic Party.

The more recent revelations regarding Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Bruce Orr, Andrew McCabe and Comey have contributed to the corrosive belief that if you are the right person and part of the right political “team” in Washington, you won’t face justice for a crime. Even worse, if you are part of the “wrong team” you will be investigated until a crime is discovered.

But now, it’s time to show that a government official aligned with Clinton faces the same criminal penalty as an official aligned with Trump.

Former National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn pleaded guilty for making false statements to FBI officials. McCabe has just been found to have done the same thing. Multiple times:

The OIG found that then-Deputy Director Andrew McCabe lacked candor, including under oath, on multiple occasions in connection with describing his role in connection with a disclosure to the WSJ, and that this conduct violated FBI Offense Codes 2.5 and 2.6,” the audit concluded. “The OIG also concluded that McCabe’s disclosure of the existence of an ongoing investigation in the manner described in this report violated the FBI’s and the Department’s media policy and constituted misconduct.”

Sessions should announce that a grand jury has been impaneled and Mr. McCabe will face the same justice that Gen. Flynn faced. That’s the whole purpose of justice. That if you do something wrong, you pay the price.

Time for McCabe to pay the price. And for Sessions to restore the Justice Department’s image, a bit.