Dismissed ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe could face criminal charges for misleading investigators on four occasions about information provided to The Wall Street Journal.
The Justice Department's inspector general sent a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney in Washington for consideration, according to a Thursday report in The Washington Post.
The U.S. attorney will determine whether McCabe's actions reached the level of committing a crime.
The inspector general found that McCabe had acted in his own self-interest in authorizing a pair of FBI officials to speak with a reporter about the bureau's investigation into the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton's private email server.
According to the inspector general, McCabe's decision failed to meet the FBI standards for a "public interest" exception involving ongoing investigations.
McCabe was fired in March by Attorney General Jeff Sessions only hours before his planned retirement _ costing the federal agent some of his benefits.
McCabe alleged the decision was a politically motivated attempt to ruin his reputation and taint the FBI.
The Justice Department, the U.S. attorney's office and a McCabe spokesperson all declined to comment on the Post report.
