Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has been fired.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz recommended a review by the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility. The referral was based on IG Horowitz interviewing McCabe and identifying McCabe was lying about his instructions to FBI Communication Director Michael Kortan leaking to media on his behalf.

Mike Kortan, Lisa Page and Peter Strzok then proceeded to leak to Devlin Barrett (WSJ and WaPo), along with other journalists, with approvals from Andrew McCabe.

After IG Horowitz referred McCabe’s false statements to the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), the OPR investigated and recommended to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and AAG Rod Rosenstein that Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe should be fired. Moments ago Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced McCabe is fired:

BREAKING: Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he's fired former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, effective immediately. — The Associated Press (@AP) March 17, 2018

Andrew McCabe has been fired. 26 hours before his pension would have fully kicked in. — David Martosko (@dmartosko) March 17, 2018

official statement from the AG on andrew mccabe: "Both the OIG and FBI OPR reports concluded that Mr. McCabe had made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor − including under oath − on multiple occasions." pic.twitter.com/JqMGv9RgkE — kelly cohen (@politiCOHEN_) March 17, 2018

#BREAKING: FBI's Andrew McCabe fired less than 48 hours before retirement day https://t.co/RTT1W8v9WD pic.twitter.com/soSjcS15JG — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 17, 2018

Update: Andrew McCabe responds: (Via ABC)

Obviously McCabe had this statement well prepared in advance of the public notification of his firing. The timing is too immediate. This intellectually honest acceptance goes to the heart of the defense posture we previously outlined.

As we previously shared, now that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has fired McCabe, the controversial narrative will be that he’s desperately doing the bidding of President Trump who has tweeted about McCabe being corrupt and unaccountable.

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017

McCabe’s response after his firing is exactly along this narrative.

McCabe will not assist, turn, or cooperate. People selling this possibility are entirely foolish. McCabe will dig in deeply and the deep state along with James Comey, Robert Mueller, the “small group of conspirators” and the deep state media, will defend him all the way.