By Emily L. Judd
In his upcoming book, (click here) former FBI director James Comey publicly apologized to Secretary Hillary Clinton and her supporters for how he handled the FBI's investigation of her email use. Clinton’s 2016 campaign chair, John Podesta, speaking at a Poynter lecture on April 12, rejected the apology.
In an excerpt obtained by ABC News Comey wrote, “I'm sorry that I couldn't do a better job explaining to her [Hillary Clinton] and her supporters why I made the decisions I made.” Just days before the 2016 election, Comey publicly disclosed the FBI had reopened the probe into Clinton’s email use as secretary of state. It was a decision Clinton and her campaign staff believe contributed to the Trump victory.
Podesta said he doesn’t accept Comey’s apology and that he believes Comey put his reputation first and the reputation of the FBI second, and both of these before policy. He discussed how Comey’s actions affected the election during a talk at William L. Harkness Hall.
“We went into election night feeling not overconfident, but we thought we were going to prevail. The course of the previous week was tumultuous. Comey’s decision to reopen the email investigation to us was a profound error of judgment,” Podesta said.
After Comey’s announcement, the Clinton campaign watched the margin between the candidates in the polls become closer, according to Podesta. However the campaign’s first indication of a potential loss was during election night when results came in from the state of Florida....
The defaming of Secretary Hillary Clinton by James Comey, is not about the FBI or it's practices and policies; it is about insubordination and we already knew that. This report from Justice only proves those that realized what happened, including John Podesta, were right all along.
Comey violated Justice Department protocol. He undermined the Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch when seeking insight to the path of the Clinton investigation regarding Anthony Weiner's laptop. Comey refused the counsel of AG Lynch and acted outside of department policy.
I have never seen a candidate work so hard in a campaign. The exception could be US Senator Sanders and his wife. But, I can honestly say, Hillary Clinton never worked so hard to keep up with lies and half truths. She had already sat in a congressional meeting room and was the sole person answering questions to a hostile Republican committee. I think it was 8 hours, yes? (click here)
The misogyny that occurred during her 2018 campaign was daunting. Senator Sanders never had to deal with misogyny. It was truly astounding to realize the Former Secretary Clinton had enormously high approval ratings coming out of the White House after one term in office. Then to see it hacked away at with far less than truthful accusations and anti-woman sentiment meant there were powers at work far greater than FOX News. However, I am confident FOX News carried messages taken from the internet and designed by Russians. Whether or not anyone at FOX was in contact with Russians is a questioned yet to be answered.
When Former Director Comey made the announcement about Anthony Weiner's laptop there was a precipitous drop in momentum for the Democrats and not just Hillary Clinton. The Down Ballot was effected and I knew Secretary Clinton would not make it into the White House. When the shift for some candidates in the down ballot changed, it was a reflection of the sentiment of that electorate. The numbers weren't adding up.
I do not believe Former Director Comey was playing power politics from the office in the FBI. I would like to understand why he did what he did after being counseled by the AG with Justice Department protocol staring him in the face. Loretta Lynch did not play favorites, but, Director Comey was influenced by a duty alien to most agents and administration in the department. Basically, I don't get it. Who pressured him into reporting the Weiner laptop? Nothing I reason makes sense.
With this report, both Former Director Comey and the department know there is a reason for what occurred and it was wrong!
June 14, 2018
By Matt Apuzzo, Nicholas Fandos and Charlie Savage
Washington - The former F.B.I. director James B. Comey (click here) was “insubordinate” in his handling of the investigation of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, a critical Justice Department report concluded on Thursday.
But the report, by the department’s inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, does not challenge the decision not to prosecute Mrs. Clinton. Nor does it conclude that political bias at the F.B.I. influenced that decision, the officials said.
“We found no evidence that the conclusions by department prosecutors were affected by bias or other improper considerations,” the report said. “Rather, we concluded that they were based on the prosecutor’s assessment of facts, the law, and past department practice.”...
