Bloomberg reported that James Comey, former FBI director, waywardly handled the federal investigation of Hillary Clinton. Clinton was a United States presidential candidate in 2016.
The FBI’s watchdog discovered that Comey was not politically motivated. However, the watchdog concluded that the disgraced FBI director damaged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI’s image of balance and fairness.
Michael Horowitz, the inspector general, issued a report that is not directly connected to Special Counsel Robert Muller’s federal probe. Muller is investigating alleged Russian infiltration of the 2016 U.S. general presidential election, and potential collusion with associates of the president. However, United States President Donald Trump and his allies in the Republican Party and on Capitol Hill seized on the investigation as evidence and proof against the FBI and DOJ’s anti-Trump bias sentiment.
Horowitz stated that five officials from the FBI showed feelings of hostility toward President Trump before his election as president in 2016. He said to Congress that their actions had been reported to the FBI for probable disciplinary action.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that the inspector general (IG) report, which is a 500-page document, re-established the president’s doubts about the political misbehavior of some members of the FBI, and weary feelings about Comey’s behavior. The leader of the free world was briefed on the federal report earlier on Friday, June 15, 2018.
An exchange of texts was an example that was cited in the newly released document. The texts were a conversation between FBI officials Peter Strozk and Lisa Page. The conversation was documented on Aug. 8, 2016. In the texts, Page questioned if then-candidate Trump would become president of the U.S. Strozk reported that they “will stop it.”
Horowitz stated that under the circumstances of the Page and Strozk texts being made public, the Federal government did not have confidence in Strozk’s decision to prioritize the Russian dossier investigation over following up with possible new evidence in the Clinton email scandal. He was also afraid that the dossier investigation would not be free from bias.
The Examiner reported that certain present and past members of the DOJ and the FBI were preparing themselves for the highly anticipated release of the IG’s report. The report was released on Thursday, June 14. It was rumored to be a reincarnated version of the Clinton email investigation results. Then-Presidential Candidate Clinton was being investigated for placing highly confidential emails on her private server during the email investigation.
Sources familiar with a copy of the draft said that individuals, such as Loretta Lynch, the former U.S. Attorney General, and Comey are included. Lynch and Comey are also leading figures in the IG report.
The Hill reported that Comey previously described his position in the Clinton email investigation as being victimized by a century-long flood. However, the IG report stated that the former FBI director was the cause of the destruction rather than its victim.
By John A. Federico
Edited by Jeanette Smith
Sources:
Bloomberg: Comey Was ‘Insubordinate’ in Clinton Probe, But Free of Bias
Washington Examiner: The FBI is about to make excuses for the Clinton investigation again
The Hill: Comey can no longer hide destruction caused at FBI
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