The White House is once again in the midst of a controversy after former FBI Director Andrew McCabe announced with his lawyer that he planned to sue the Trump Administration. According to initial statements, McCabe will seek damages for defamation, slander, and wrongful termination. McCabe alleges his reputation was significantly harmed by numerous Administration members, including President Trump himself.
In March 2018, one month before the lawsuit was announced, McCabe was terminated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. According to Sessions, the then-FBI Director did not participate appropriately with federal investigations and disclosed sensitive information to national media outlets. McCabe was insistent about his innocence in the matters and denied all allegations forthright. Yet he was fired with little warning or internal investigation.
McCabe believes his firing was simply a way to force him out of power to weaken Robert Mueller’s investigative probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. If true, such administrative behavior would constitute wrongful termination. Potential damages in wrongful termination lawsuits can include wages that would have been earned had the wrongful firing never occurred, noneconomic damage for career damage, and punitive damages to penalize the defendant for wrongdoing. It is not known at this time what damages McCabe will seek, as his lawyer expressed the claim is still being finalized.
(For more information about this ongoing story, you can click here to view a full article from The Hill.)
Everyone Has Employment Rights, Even FBI Directors
The McCabe lawsuit highlights the importance of respecting employee rights at all levels. Federal employment law provides legal guidelines for employers to follow and protections each employee deserves. Being a higher-up in the American government is no exception.
Have you been disrespected by your employer, or had your employee rights violated through discrimination? Did you get terminated without a valid reason, or perhaps due to subverted reasons? You have the same rights as Andrew McCabe – use them!
