Lynch reiterated that her announcement that she would be taking the FBI’s recommendation was an attempt to remove the specter of political interference from the case, after a chance meeting with former president Bill Clinton last month raised a perception problem.
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Republicans, though, ramped up their criticism not only of Clinton but of the Justice Department’s handling of the case.
At the House hearing regarding the Justice Department’s decision, Issa pressed Lynch to explain the agency’s conclusion. “Somebody asked me to consult an attorney and you are the attorney general”. Lynch noted tersely as she testified. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, strenuously criticized Lynch over the investigation’s outcome, charging that it “does not seem to be a responsible way to uphold your constitutionally sworn oath”.
The lawmakers’ letter was addressed to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Channing D. Phillips.
The FBI had said earlier this week that now that its investigation into Clinton’s emails has been completed, the FBI would return all material gathered during the probe to the State Department. Again and again, she deflected questions about what went into the decision not bring charges.
Republicans have been waging an aggressive campaign to keep Clinton’s email practices in the news, and the issue presents a challenge to her presidential aspirations.
In a letter sent Monday to U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips, the two congressmen asked for an investigation based on Clinton’s testimony before a House Committee past year investigating the Benghazi killings. He has conceded that there was “evidence of mishandling” classified information in Clinton’s setup and that an Federal Bureau of Investigation employee who did the same thing “would face consequences for this”.
Republicans are seeking to continue the investigation into Clinton’s emails.
Lynch, who accepted the recommendation of FBI Director James Comey last week with no questions asked, offered no insight during her testimony and repeatedly refused to provide lawmakers with answers to their queries. “‘The politically connected Hillary Clinton, we won’t charge her'”.
“You aren’t going to acknowledge the fact that she lied”, questioned Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio.
Goodlatte said that Clinton’s “extreme carelessness” likely jeopardized the nation’s security and that, if Clinton is elected president, “she can not be trusted with the nation’s most sensitive secrets”.
The hearing with Lynch, which began at 10 a.m., was scheduled before Comey made his recommendation not to charge Clinton. Lynch said there was no need to.
“State by state, city by city, and county by county we might make this reform or that reform, but there is no national strategy to stop police from killing people – especially black people, especially black men”, wrote Democratic Reps.
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Lynch repeated her previous contention that the meeting with Clinton was a “social conversation”.
