I BET THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T KNOW THAT McCABE WILL STILL GET A PENSION

Our petty tyrant president had Andrew McCabe fired last night, a little more than 24 hours prior to his scheduled resignation, which was to take place on his 50th birthday. It's widely believed that this act of vindictiveness has cost McCabe his entire pension. I believed that when I woke up this morning. I imagine the president also believes it.

But as CNN reported prior to the dismissal, it's not exactly true:

As a law enforcement officer covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System, known as FERS, McCabe is set to receive an annual pension payout calculated at a special "enhanced" rate and available at the early age of 50....

If he were to be fired before Sunday, it appears likely McCabe could be docked his pension until he hits another, later age milestone.

... per federal rules, McCabe may not be able to draw an annuity until a date ranging just shy of his 57th birthday, and as late as his 62nd. That could put the value of his uncollected pension in the realm of a half-million dollars.

On top of that, McCabe could also lose his law enforcement boost....

Under the rules of FERS, that means he could be left with the standard multiplier of 1% on top of his years of service, down from the 1.7% enhanced rate for law enforcement.

James Gagliano, a former FBI special agent who's now a CNN analyst, acknowledges that McCabe will take a hit:

Post Postscript to erroneous media reports: McCabe would receive government pension, deferred to age 57. Most significant "damage" to a separated FBI employee is:

Loss of lifetime medical benefits for self & family.

Loss of "special supplemental" to social security benefits.

— James A. Gagliano (@JamesAGagliano) March 15, 2018

But it takes a lot to strip an FBI agent of his pension altogether:

Re: McCabe firing & federal pension, as I discern retirement provisions for separated FBI employee w/22 years -- vested at 10 -- under FERS program; 5 U.S. Code § 8312 only specifies you lose the deferred annuity if convicted of treason, sedition, rebellion. HE GETS HIS PENSION.

— James A. Gagliano (@JamesAGagliano) March 17, 2018

This was a nasty thing to do. It could have a chilling effect on other law enforcement officials who are investigating the president (although I think Trump is much less likely to target you this way if you haven't been singled out for a series of Two Minutes' Hates on Hannity's show).

But McCabe should be able to make up the difference. James Comey's book advance was in the neighborhood of $2 million -- McCabe's should be in the mid-six figures. McCabe still ought to be employable for more than a decade, at a fairly high level.

I think Trump wants to believe he left McCabe on the verge of destitution. He didn't. McCabe will come of out of this in better shape than Trump probably realizes.