Bloomberg News has obtained the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General’s conclusions following their probe of the James Comey-led FBI’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
BREAKING: IG REPORT https://t.co/XDpM9bSPfV
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) June 14, 2018
The report zings Comey for breaking with department norms in the Hillary Clinton case, it did NOT find political bias on his part. More to come shortly…
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) June 14, 2018
The IG reportedly didn’t conclude that Comey was guided by political bias, but the rest of it is not good for the former FBI director, and others.
From Bloomberg News:
Former FBI Director James Comey “deviated” from FBI and Justice Department procedures in handling the probe into Hillary Clinton, damaging the law enforcement agencies’ image of impartiality even though he wasn’t motivated by political bias, the department’s watchdog found in a highly anticipated report.
“While we did not find that these decisions were the result of political bias on Comey’s part, we nevertheless concluded that by departing so clearly and dramatically from FBI and department norms, the decisions negatively impacted the perception of the FBI and the department as fair administrators of justice,” Inspector General Michael Horowitz said in the report’s conclusions, which were obtained Thursday by Bloomberg News.
More:
SCOOP: Inspector general report says Comey damaged “the perception of the FBI and the department as fair administrators of justice.”
Story here, and more to come, from @cstrohm https://t.co/GhXMhHorzi
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 14, 2018
IG found a “troubling lack of any direct, substantive communication” between Comey and AG Lynch ahead of July press conference and Comey’s October letter to Congress.
“Extraordinary that, in advance of two such consequential decisions” Comey didn’t speak directly with Lynch.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 14, 2018
“Extraordinary” indeed.
“Not the first time the (DOJ) and the FBI have conducted a politically-charged investigation and it will not be the last,” IG report says.
Policies are in place to “protect the institutions from allegations of abuse, political interference, and biased enforcement of the law.”
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 14, 2018
And of course the roles of anti-Trump former FBI personnel Lisa Page and Peter Strzok play a part in the OIG report:
IG: Peter Strzok & Lisa Page exchanged anti-Trump texts, BUT “we did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that improper considerations, including political bias, directly affected the specific investigative actions we reviewed"
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) June 14, 2018
Their political bias didn’t affect the investigation? How’s this for a text exchange Bloomberg says is documented in the IG report:
“Several FBI employees Who played critical roles in the investigation sent political messages,” IG report says.
It cites Lisa Page text to Peter Strzok: “(Trump’s) not ever going to become president, right? Right?!”
Strzok: “No. No he’s not. We’ll stop it.”
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 14, 2018
Wow.
I don't think FBI agents should be barred from expressing opinions, but how can anyone argue that they weren't professionally biased when they say things like "we'll stop it?" https://t.co/h55GZLoncv
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) June 14, 2018
Right!?
https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1007275914982510592
https://twitter.com/KanyeisLincoln/status/1007278983044632576
"We'll stop it"
Strzok on Trump becoming president. WOW #IGReport https://t.co/SMyczshZ3S— Sandy (@RightGlockMom) June 14, 2018
The Bloomberg report is based on the IG report’s conclusions. The full report is due to be released by the DOJ soon.
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