Republican lawmakers suggested the FBI should open a new investigation into Hillary Clinton, this time for disparities between her testimony before Congress and the findings of the FBI’s investigation into her email process.
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Committee chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told Comey that the FBI’s decision on Clinton showed a “double standard” for powerful people.
“We will aim to be as expeditious as possible, but we will not put artificial deadlines on the process”, department spokesman John Kirby said, noting that the internal review could proceed now that the Justice Department investigation wrapped up with no charges filed against the former secretary of state.
Asked if Clinton broke the law, Comey said, “My judgment is that she did not”, a more emphatic pronouncement than he made earlier in the week.
On Thursday, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan called for Clinton to be blocked from receiving classified briefings during her presidential run in order to sanction her for improperly handling classified emails while serving as secretary of state.
Comey said that all of Clinton’s aides who saw her emails had security clearances.
The FBI found 110 emails on 52 email chains that involved information that was classified at the time it was sent.
“Secretary Clinton said, ‘I did not e-mail any classified material to anyone on my e-mail, there is no classified material.’ Was that true?”
“Isn’t she an original classification authority though?” asked Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Florida) referring to the fact that secretaries of state are vested with authority to classify information as high as top secret.
But Comey said that while the FBI’s year-long investigation turned up “evidence of great carelessness”, he stood by his decision not to recommend prosecution. Mr. James Comey, will go through some serious interrogation at the hearing of the House Oversight Committee about the Federal Bureau of Investigation recommendation.
Trump, though, is unique – uniquely frightening, in the view of many – and that may be enough in the end to persuade voters that, compromised as she is, Clinton is still the better option in November.
Republicans tried to build an impression that Clinton repeatedly misled the American public over her motives and use of the private server system – something Republicans hope will highlight questions about her trustworthiness.
“You’ll have one”, Chaffetz said.
Under an onslaught of Republican criticism, Comey vigorously defended the government’s decision and rejected GOP accusations that the presidential candidate was given special treatment. He also said he believes at least two were mistakenly marked as confidential, indicated by a “c” lower in the body of the message. “There are too many unanswered questions”, he said.
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FBI Director James Comey stirred interest Thursday when he said former CIA Director David Petraeus hid materials in attic insulation while the agency pursued its case about his mishandling of classified information.
