See how Trump's decision to fire McCabe 48 hours before his 50th birthday could cost him an estimated $60,000 a year over the next 5 years

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was fired on March 16 — two days before his retirement.

Now McCabe may not be able to receive his pension benefits for at least five years.

A pension is a defined benefit retirement plan most commonly seen for US government employees, in which an employee contributes to the plan during their tenure and an employer guarantees a post-retirement payout.

 

Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe was fired last week, just two days before he was set to retire early at age 50. His firing could pose a significant risk to his pension benefits and financial future.

McCabe, a 21-year veteran of the bureau, was forced out of the FBI earlier this year amid an internal investigation by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) into his approval of unauthorized disclosures to the media in October 2016 related to the bureau's Hillary Clinton email probe.

Under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) — a retirement plan for government employees — McCabe was set to receive a pension payout of around $60,000 a year, according to an estimate by CNN. This is a "special 'enhanced' rate" based on his 20-plus years of service as a member of law enforcement and his high annual salary.

Now McCabe is at risk of losing access to his pension until at least age 55. In addition to not receiving monthly payments during this period, McCabe would also lose out on health insurance coverage for himself and his family.

CNN law enforcement analyst James A. Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, tweeted that loss of lifetime medical benefits is perhaps "the most significant 'damage' to a separated FBI employee."